Le Famiglie Sono Eterna Families are Forever
by OakHillsDrive
Summary: Sometimes, not even death can keep your family from interfering in your love life.
1. Chapter 1: Next in Line

"Next." A woman standing at a counter quietly called.

Lena, a beautiful brunette, who had been in a kind of daze, looked up noticing there was no one ahead of her in line. She raised her pale, slim hand and quickly approached the woman.

"Jes. I am 'ere." Lena, answered as quietly as possible, in her thick Italian accent. "But, my I ask a questy-on?"

"Yes Ma'am, of course." The young clerk began typing something into a kind of machine Lena had never seen before.

"Where is 'ere?" She said gazing hopefully at the clerk.

"Well, I guess you could say this Heaven. Honestly, this is Heaven's WRLO."

"Escusee?"

"I'm sorry. It's the waiting room for loved ones."

"Waitin' room?"

"Well, this is where you meet your loved ones, the ones who passed on before you. Ma'am, what is your name?"

Lena, who was still in a haze, whispered, "Lena Romano Micelli. Does dis mean dat I am. . ."

"Yes, Ma'am. I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you. But, if you go through the door to the right, Joseph is waiting for you."

"Josef?"

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain right now. I guess you don't remember do you?"

"No. I don't remem-bear a Josef?"

"Well just go through that door and he'll explain everything to you."

Lena looked around for the first time, trying to get her barrings. The last thing she remembered was closing her eyes in her own bedroom. Her husband, Matty, had been holding her hand. What had happened?

"I'm dead?" She thought to herself as she continued walking towards the door. She looked around at everything. It looked like a office, but like no office she'd ever been to before. There were filing cabinets and desks with flat boxes that had pictures and words flashing on them. Even the furniture was all white or made of wood. It was a beautiful building. Everyone who walked past her smiling in their white clothing. She arrived at the door and grabbed a hold of the door knob, unsure of whether or not she wanted to open it.

"Hee-Haw! Hellooo Lena!" Yelled a round, red headed, red mustached gentleman who was getting up from the bench he'd been sitting at.

Lena looked around and found that the office on the other side of the doorway had disappeared. She was now standing on her street, with the people she saw everyday buzzing around her and many of them walking right _through _her_. _The rotund man standing next to her looked horribly out of place in her neighborhood. Not only did his red hair make him stand out, but also the robe, pajamas and slippers he wearing were a bright white, in contrast to the gray, dusty, dirty streets of the city.

"Where have you been? We've got to get moving. Today is important."

"Escusee, signore. We are familiga?"

"Lena, if we don't go help Matty right now, we won't be."

He grabbed her hand and began to run as quickly as his jolly belly would allow.

"Signore, where are a we going? If some ting is wrong with my Matty, maybe I could tell jou a faster way to get there." She said following him. Concern was building up in her heart, wondering what could be causing her husband to be in such danger or pain.

"When we get to him, I need you to do whatever you can think of to help him calm down and listen to Robert."

"Signore?"

"Just do whatever you can to help him calm down, Lena. God will do the rest."

©Ilda M. Spurgeon


	2. Chapter 2: Eternally in Your Debt

Chapter 2: Eternally in Your Debt

Joseph and Lena rounded the corner and instantly found themselves at the door step of a bank on Madison Avenue. Lena put her hand up to open the door and found her hand going through the metal pane.

"Don't worry, Beautiful Lena. You'll get used to all this soon enough. In the mean time, we've got to hurry."

They made their way _through_ the door and began looking for Matty. It only took a minute for Lena to recognize the baritone voice sitting at the desk of a young, eager looking banker. They made their way through the lobby over to a row of desks sitting to the right of the bank's tellers. As they approached, Matty's voice became louder and louder.

"Plez signoré. It's just two hundred dollares. I am good for it. I vill pay it bak as quickly as possi-bblé."

"Mr. Michelli, I've already told you that there is _nothing_ I can do."

"Lena," Joseph whispered to her. "I'm going to go talk to Robert. Stay here with Matty and please help him to stay calm. I'll be back in a moment."

"Plez signore." Matty put his head down, trying to make sure the clerk did not see the tears coming to his eyes. "My wiffe just passt a way." It was too late, the flood gates had opened. "Two hundrred dollares signore. I need it to pay for her funerale."

Lena made her way over to Matty as quickly as she could. "Matty, I'm a right here. Don't cry, my amoré."

"Please sir. I've told you there is _**nothing**_ I can do. You have no collateral."

"What is dis 'collateral'?" Matty said trying to regain his composure.

"Well, it's something you can use to guarantee your loan. A house, a car or something like that."

"Jes, jes. I have someting." Matty reached into his pocket and pulled out his gold pocket watch that had been given to him by his father, Mateo. In desperation he continued,"'ere, plez take a dis. Churely dis is enough for jou."

The clerk now seemed annoyed by the pestering of the thick accented Italian man in front of him. "Sir, that's very nice, but I'm afraid that won't be enough to cover the loan. I'm going to have to reject your application." He began to stand up trying to tactful let Matty know that the conversation was over.

"Plez sir!" Matty said grabbing the banker's lapels. "Plez, she waz de only woman I ever loved and now she's a gone. Plez, sir! Plez loaned a me dis money so dat I can send her to God in de way she deserves."

"Guard! Please!" The clerk said in a panic.

Lena now in a panic herself, walked up to Matty and did the only thing she could think of. In her usual calming manner, she put one hand on his chest and the other behind his neck. This time instead of passing through him, as with everything else, her touch was solid and seemed to burn comfort into his soul.

"Amore mio, calmarsi." In that instant a sweet peace over took her husband and he dropped like a limp noodle down onto his chair. The flood gates opened once again and in a state of embarrassment, he grabbed his handkerchief from his suit coat pocket and covered his face.

"What's going on here?" Said a very concerned looking gentleman approaching the scene.

"Mr. Robinson!" The young banker, composing himself, straightened his jacket trying to make a good impression on his boss. "Mr. Robinson, everything is under control here. I was just advising Mr. Michelli that we would be unable to grant his loan request."

"I think _**I**_ will be the judge of that." The gentleman, who the young clerk called "Mr. Robinson," had a commanding presence, but yet his voice had a certain gentleness about it. The blonde haired boss turned to Mr. Micelli, "Mr. Michelli, may I have a word with you in my office?"

From behind Mr. Robinson, Lena could see Joseph running at a frantic pace trying to meet up with the group.

"What'd I miss?" Said Joseph, trying to catch his breath as he stopped next to Lena.

"Mr. Robenison is a taking my Matty to his a office, to talk about a loan."

"Oh, thank Heavens. I was worried we might have gotten here too late."

"Signoré, I still am confused about all of a dis."

"Beautiful Lena, come up with me right now and you'll see something that will change the everything."

Mr. Robinson lead Mr. Micelli up a flight of stairs and down a short hall way that opened up into the largest entry way Lena had ever seen.

"Ms. Jensen, please hold my calls." Mr. Robinson said to the gray haired receptionist sitting at the desk in front of his huge oak door.

"Yes sir, Mr. Robinson."

"Right in here, Mr. Michelli."

Matty walked timidly behind Mr. Robinson, wondering where he was being taken. Mr. Robinson opened the door and Matty looked into the room expecting to see a throne and a court jester. The door opened completely into a large office with a huge beautiful mahogany desk. As Lena and Joseph followed them into the room, she appeared just as amazed at the room as Matty. The side walls were covered with bookshelves with more books than Matty had ever seen. Directly behind the desk, a huge window looked out over Madison Ave.

"Mr. Michelli, won't you take a seat." Mr. Robinson motioned to one of the two chairs in front of the desk.

"Where are we Josef?" Lena said still very confused, standing next to her husband.

"Shhh. Listen." Joseph said with his finger up to his lips.

"Thank jou, Mr. Robenison." Matty took a seat in the chair and nervously began wringing his handkerchief between his fingers.

"From what I heard, you've applied for a loan from our bank. Is that correct?"

"Yes, signoré."

"May I ask the purpose of the loan?"

Hearing the compassion in Mr. Robinson's voice, he tried hard to hold his tears in. Pausing for a second, he found the courage to look him in the eye. Instantly, he was surprised at the familiarity he found in them.

"Have a we met before Mr. Robenison?"

"No, not that I recall, Mr. Michelli."

"Escussee."

"Mr. Michelli, I can tell that you're upset. Has something happened?"

"My wiffe. She a. . .she passed a way yesterday. . .and de mortition, he told a me I need one hundred and a fifty dollars to bury my Lena. And my father, Mateo has a offered to come to America to help take a care of my boy, Antony. But I need da money to help a him come over from Italia."

Joseph walked over to Mr. Robinson and whispered in his ear. "You know he's a good man, Robert. He needs your help."

Mr. Robinson paused for a moment, and walked over to the chair beside Matty. Sitting beside him, he said, "Mr. Michelli, I'm a reasonable man. I think we can work something out." With that, Mr. Robinson stood up and pulled a bill fold out of his pant's pocket. He thumbed through the stack of bills and handed the entire stack over to Matty.

"But a Mr. Robenison! Dis is a more than two hundred a dollares!"

"It is enough isn't it?" Mr. Robinson said in genuine concern.

"Oh, Mr. Robenison, I am so grateful! But I cannot take dis. It is too much. Dis is yours."

"And now it's yours."

"But a Mr. Robenison, I can not accept dis."

"Yes, you can and you will."

Lena walked over to Matty and whispered in his ear, "Don't let jour pride get de better of jou, amoré. He can help a jou. Jou need to let him."

"Plez signoré." Matty reached into his pocket and pulled out the gold pocket watch. "I can not accept a jour gift until jou accept a mine."

Mr. Robinson looked at the watch and hesitantly took it from Matty's hand. "Okay Mr. Michelli, but now we're even."

"No, Mr. Robenison, I will be eternally in a jour debt." Through his tears, Matty shook Mr. Robenison's hand. "Plez signoré, I would like a tu invite a jou to come to her funerale. Plez signoré, I wood be most honored."

"I would be honored Mr. Michelli. Why don't you leave the directions with Ms. Jensen? I will get in touch with you tomorrow."

"Oh thanka jou, signoré." Matty turned to leave and almost found himself bowing in thanks to Mr. Robinson. "Thanka jou."

With the door closed, Joseph and Lena found themselves alone in the room with Mr. Robinson. He walked back behind his desk and sat down.

"You did a good thing there, Robert." Joseph said, patting Mr. Robinson's shoulder.

Even though he couldn't physically feel Joseph's touch, a smile came to Mr. Robinson's face as if it had. He turned, looked at his desk and grabbed a picture frame sitting to his left. He held the picture against his chest for a moment and then pulled it back to look at the red headed woman in the frame.

"Sweetheart, I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you," Mr. Robinson said to the picture. He felt a few goosebumps run up his arm as Joseph patted his back once again.

"I am so glad he loves her. I was really worried that no one would ever be good enough for my Mona, but he has been."

"Mona? Josef, I am getting more and more confused every moment! I still do not understand how are we related? Jou look notting like my familiga and I am positive dat I look notting like a jours."

"Beautiful Lena," Joseph said with a deep belly laugh. "I forgot you don't remember everything yet. Here maybe this will jog your memory." He motioned for her to come and stand next to him. As she came around the side of the desk, she saw a row of family pictures. Many of them had pictures of the red head, but many more of them had pictures of a blonde little girl.

Immediately recognizing the face starring back at her, she said the only word that came to mind.

"Angela."

©Ilda M. Spurgeon


	3. Chapter 3: Filling in the Blanks

Chapter 3: Filling in the Blanks

"Angela. My goodness, I know her. But why?"

"She is my granddaughter and hopefully your daughter-in-law." Joseph said admiring the photos sitting over Robert's shoulder.

"But Josef, my Antony is only seven. How could I have a daughter-in-law?"

Reaching for the photograph, it disappeared in her hand along with everything else in the room. Once again she found herself, standing in the white office, with the door behind her.

"Well, the Big Man upstairs..." He gave another big belly laugh. "Upstairs, I keep forgetting we're upstairs now, too." He continued laughing at his own joke. When he realized Lena wasn't laughing, he continued his thought, "Any way, the Big Man is keeping you and I and several others at the ready over the next few Earth years to make sure that they actually end up together. It seems that these two kiddos are supposed to fall in love, but from the way it looks, they are going to need a lot of help."

As he spoke, he lead her down a bright hallway.

"But if two people, el destino?" Lena tried to figure out a way to explain her line of thinking to him.

"I don't understand what you're getting at."

"Des-tin-ee? If two people are meant tu be tugether, why doesn't "Ze Big Man", as jou say, just let whatever happens happen?"

"Because people also have their freedom to make their own choices, sometimes what seems like the right path might not be and we have to give them a little. . . encouragement. Help them realize something they might not have thought about before. It happens all the time. Sometimes it takes a struggle or an accident or a heartache to realize that the person who will make you the happiest is the person who's been standing beside you the whole time. It's our job to make sure your son and my granddaughter realize it, in the right time and in the right place.

As they arrived at the end of the hallway, they entered a huge white room with more white tables and chairs. As they entered the room, Lena noticed how much this new room reminded her of a train station. There were several people coming into the room and several leaving under a sign that read "Earth." There were several groups of people standing and sitting together. As soon as someone "arrived" the group knew, they'd cheer and hug have a mini-welcome home party right then and there. There were several other groups seeing people off. Lena started to notice that this was happening all over the room, over and over again. In the second it took for her to take in this scene, a cheer boomed across her ear drums.

"LENA! LENA!" Her mother, grandfather, every cousin, and every other relative that had passed on before her came running towards her. Several others, she had no memory of, came towards her as well. Red heads, blondes and brunettes alike came to her, all yelling her name.

She enjoyed so many hugs and kisses, from so many. She couldn't help herself. The tears flowed and she wished in that instant that Matty and Anthony could have been there with her.

After the initial shock of the welcome wore off, Joseph began to lead her around introducing her to all the different faces she could not place names with. When five generations worth of family had been introduced, a large smile came to Joseph's face.

"Lena here are three special people I want you to meet." From out of the crowd came a brunette woman, a blonde man and a olive skinned red head.

"This is your granddaughter, Samantha."

"Grandmama." Samantha leaned in and hugged her tightly.

"This is your grandson, Jonathan."

"Nana, I'm so happy to see you." Jonathan squeezed her so tightly, he lifted her a few inches off the ground.

"And lastly, this is Kate."

"But Josef, I don't understand. Dey can not have passed on already. . . "

"That's right. Samantha and Jonathan are on their way to the pre-birth area." He said pointing to the hallway under the sign for "Earth." "They just stopped by on their way out."

"Oh my goodness, what an exciting time for jou my childrens. Life is a so wonderful and it passes by too quickly. Enjoy every minute of it." Touching each of their cheeks, Lena paused for a minute and looked over at Joseph. "But Josef, my Antony is only seven, how can dey be getting ready to leave already?"

"Beautiful Lena, time doesn't exist here. What was a lifetime to you probably only seemed like a month or two to everyone here. The Big Man knows when we need to get sent out the door, how to help us while we're there and when we need to return. We just need to do our best in the in between time.

"But if dat is de case, why is not Kate going as well?"

"Honestly, that problem is what's going to keep _**us**_ busy for the next several," putting his fingers up in quotation marks, "months."

©Ilda M. Spurgeon


	4. Chapter 4: In a Thunderstorm

Chapter 4: "In a Thunderstorm"

"How come we have to go to this, Mother?"

"He's a client of your father's."

"Is it a work thing? Cause if it's a work thing, why do I have to go?"

"Well, your father thought it would be nice for us to go as a family. This man is having a hard time and it would be nice for him to have some support."

"But a funeral, Mother? I won't know anyone."

"Well, neither will I. You won't be alone."

The nine year old grabbed her coat and walked out the door to the car with her mother. Her father was already sitting in the driver's seat. The blonde haired girl looked out the window as her father drove past the green trees and playgrounds, into the rain covered streets of the city. The day now seemed so gloomy. Why couldn't he have let her stay home? A funeral? She had never seen a dead body before and this was the last place she wanted to be.

Her father parked the car a block past the brownstone. He ran around the side of the car and opened the door for his wife and daughter. They huddled together under the umbrella trying to stay dry. Together, they crossed the street and made their way under the overhangs to get to the building. They walked up the two flights of stairs and knocked on the door to #3B.

The door opened into a crowded room of adults. The young girl looked up at the sea of black clothing and wondered for the third time that day, what she was doing there. A young brunette woman made her way through the crowd and welcomed them in. The whispering in the room was so loud that the blonde girl could barely make out anything the young woman was saying. All she heard was "Carmella" and "He's over here."

"Sweetheart, why don't you take a seat over by the window." Her mother motioned to an empty chair on the farside of the room. Sitting alone meant she didn't have to bother with the introductions. She hated being dragged to her dad's things, but she never let him know. Anytime spent trying to make him happy was worth it. She made her way through the crowd to the chair. Sitting down, she quickly turned to the window. Even though it was still raining outside, she found the view outside more cheerful than the one in the room.

She looked out the window for no more than a minute when she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. She pressed her face close to the window and saw what looked like a boy hiding under the stairs of the fire escape. She looked around for her mother, put couldn't find her in the crowd. She tried to wave to the boy to get his attention, but his head was buried between his knees. When she tried the window, it wouldn't budge. A few feet away was a bedroom door. She tip toed over to the door and slowly opened. Inside, she found the window wide open with rain casading into the room. She closed the door behind her and ran over to the window.

"What are you doing out there?"

No answer.

"Come on in, you're getting me wet!"

A bolt of lighting came through the gray clouds and a clap of thunder shook her to her core.

"Please come in."

The little boy, unaffected by the storm, slowly raised his head and looked up at the girl. He looked numb and didn't say a word.

"Please!" She was now drenched. She offered her hand to him and he "came to" long enough to take it. With his wet hand in hers, she pulled him into the room. Quickly, she closed the window and looked around for something to dry them off with.

"What were you doing out there?"

Still no answer. In a small amoire in the corner, she found several towels. She pulled a few out and ran over to the boy who sat in a puddle on the floor. She drapped a towel over his shoulders and a smaller one over his head

"You know you could have gotten yourself killed out there. What were you thinking?" She questioned as she tried to dry his hair.

"I.." It came out in a whisper.

"I? I What?"

"I lost her."

In an instant, his demeanor said everything he couldn't.

"Was she..."

"My mother."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know." She took the towel and continued to dry his hair as the reality of his situation cemented itself into her soul. She had lost her grandfather last year, but she still didn't know what to say the small wet boy. She kept rubbing his head while she tried to think of something comforting to say.

"Ah-oh, it's dry already," he said, finally putting his hand up to block her hands.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright."

"What were you doing out there?"

"Thinking."

"Thinking? But it was raining, you could have killed yourself in that storm."

"But at least I'd be with her."

"You can't say that. I'm sure your mother loved you," she paused. "Loves you. She wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

He raised his knees, crossed his arms in front of him and put his head down in its all too familiar spot. She sat down next to him and put a hand on his hand.

"It's going to be okay."

"How do you know? Your mom," he said pointing to the door, without raising his head, "is living and breathing and standing out there. My mom is laying there and will never open her eyes again."

"Okay, I'm lying. I have no idea what to say. I mean, I'm only nine. Give me a break."

"Well then why would you say that?"

"I don't know, I guess that's what you're supposed to say. But deep down, I think it's true. When my grandfather died last year, people told me over and over again that it would be okay. I didn't believe them then either, but I believe them now. It still hurts because I don't get to see him at Christmas or Easter, but I still can feel his love for me when I think about him."

"Really?" He barely lifted his head enough so his eyes peeked over his knees. "What was he like?"

"My Grandpa Joe?"

"Yeah."

"Well, his name was Joseph, but he always told me to call him "Joe." He didn't want the ladies to know he was old enough to have a granddaughter. He was so funny. My mother always said he had to be funny in order to put up with my Nana. I never could figure out what she meant by that." She said the last part almost to herself. "Anyway, I used to sit on his lap and he'd tell me stories of all these places he'd been and people he'd met and things he could do. My Nana told me not to believe a word of it. She said they were just stories from the books he'd read. But if they weren't real, they sounded real. They seemed real enough to me."

"He sounds like he was a lot of fun."

"He was and boy, could he dance."

"My mom was a dancer too." He put his head on his chin.

"What was her name?"

"I think my her name was Lena. My dad always called her Amore."

"What's that mean?"

"Love."

"Really?"

"Yeah, when Pop would come home from work every night, she'd put a song on the record player and they'd dance until dinner was ready. I always thought they'd burn right through Pop's Tommy Dorsey record."

"You know what?"

"What?"

"I bet you that my grandfather is up in Heaven right now dancing with your Mother."

The brunette boy stopped for a second. "You believe in Heaven?"

"Of course, I do. Don't you?" She said with a shiver.

"I think I do. My pop keeps telling me there is a Heaven and that's where she is, but..." He finally took a good look at the girl who was sitting next to him shaking. He looked at the matted hair running down her cheek and realized she was sopping wet. "You silly girl. Why didn't you get a towel for yourself?" He got up and grabbed another towel from the amoire and placed it on her shoulders.

"Thank you." She looked over and smiled at him. "You know you seem really mature for your age. How old are you anyway?"

"I'm seven."

"Oh, you're just a kid."

"A kid? I'm as tall as you." He got to his feet to prove his height.

"Oh really." She stood up trying to match him, inch for inch. When she stood tall, he realized that she did have him beat by at least two inches.

"Well, I bet I could arm wrestle you right under the table."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

They both looked around the room for a suitable spot for the contest. Looking out the window, they noticed the rain had stopped and the Sun was starting to break through the clouds. The window was opened once again and they made their way, with their towels still wrapped around their shoulders, to the fire escape. They sat on the stairs and the contest began.

"So dat is my Angela." Lena said watching the children from her bed.

"Yes, and that is my Tony. Well, at least he's got it half right. We are together."

"Only a lot closer den he imagined."

Lena continued to watch the young couple play, wondering how this first meeting between these two kindred spirits would turn out.

"I know what you're thinking, Lena. Today we aren't here for them. We are here for you. I think its' time you had some closure."


	5. Chapter 5: The Fire Escape

-1Mona and Robert made their way through the crowd of people. The young brunette, Carmella, took Mona by the hand and introduced the couple to every one. She treated them like celebrities. It was a little awkward, but the red-head, being who she was, rose to the occasion.

As they made their way toward the back of the room, she caught a glimpse of the grieving father. Carmella walked a little ahead and began speaking to the man in Italian.

"Dove è Antony?" Said the teary eyed man.

"Non ho visto lui. Mi guardare per lui." She said in response to his question. "Please excuse, me." She turned away from the couple and made her way back the way they'd come.

"So that's him?" Mona said in a quiet whisper to her husband.

"Yes, dear."

"How did it happen?"

"I didn't think to ask. Everytime I mention his wife, he just stares out the window, crying."

"Oh. Did they have any children?"

"One little boy, his name is Anthony. He should be around here somewhere."

Within a few more steps, they were in front of the grief stricken man.

"Mr. Michelli."

"Mr. Robenisen," the man said in his thick accent, trying to compose himself. He stood up and took the red-head by the hand. "Is dis jour beeutiful wiffe?"

"Yes sir, Mr. Michelli. This is my Mona."

"Madame, may I say what a pleasure it tis to finally meeta jou." He took her hand and kissed it. "Mr. Robenisen speaks about jou all the time."

"Why thank you sir. I am so sorry for your loss," she said with all the sincerity she could muster.

"I am just happy tu have jou here. It tis a great honor for our familiga. Plez, jou need to meeta my boy. Antony!" He yelled across the room. He looked around as if expecting for his son to coming running. "Antony!" This time most of the crowd turned to see what the commotion was all about. "I am so embarresst. He hasa not been himself lataly."

Carmella, came toward the threesome with three glasses of lemonade in her hands.

"Here you go." Handing the glasses to Robert and Mona, she turned to Mr. Micelli, "Credo che c'è in camera da letto." Mona noticed that she pointing at a closed door.

"Grazie, Carmella."

"Sir," Mona said taking his hand this time. "That's okay. I'm sure we'll see your son before we leave. I can't imagine what this must be like for him. How are you handling this?" She lead him back to his seat and Robert, pulled up a chair for her.

"I...it isa not important how I ah, how jou say, 'am handling' it."

"Yes, it is. You can't go through this all by yourself. You need a shoulder to crying on. Someone to help you. Please promise me that you will talk to someone."

"But, I. . . can't do dat. Men, we a don't do dat a so good."

"Well, it's never too late to start."

"Mr. Robenisen. Jou are a veri lucky man indeed. Jour wife is molto bella e compassionevole. Beeutiful e compassionate."

"Yes, I am," Robert said smiling gratefully at his wife. It was his turn to kiss his wife's hand.

"Escuzee. Where is de beeutiful dau-ther I saw in de picture on jour desk?"

"Angela?" Mona said. "I left her sitting on other th..." Mona looked and realized that her daughter was not where she'd left her. She stood up and began looking around the room in a quiet panic.

"Don't worry Mone," Carmella said taking her by the arm. "She's probably playing with Anthony."

Mona and Carmella walked over to the other side of the room. As they approached the bedroom door, Mona saw some movement on the fire escape. She pulled back the curtain to see

Angela jumping up and down and yelling in excitement!

"I won! I won!" She screamed.

"Well okay, so arm wrestling isn't my best sport." Anthony said in a pitiful tone.

"Arm wrestling?" Mona said in complete shock.

Joseph and Lena, who had been listening to the conversation in the corner, joined the men who had walked over to the window. They were all watching the two children playing together.

"It ah seems to me dat your wiffe is not the only one who is a molto bella e compassionevole." Mr. Micelli raised a handkerchief to his eyes. "I am a so glad dat a jou came, not a only for a me but a for a my Antony. He has not spoke a word since my wiffe a died. Mr. Robenisen, jou have helped me in a ways dat I will be eternally grateful for."

Lena walked up to her husband and once again, put a hand around the back of his neck and her other hand over his heart.

"Amore mio. Io sono sicuro. Si prega di non piangere per me più." Sweetly, she tiptoed and placed a kiss on his cheek.

Matty closed his eyes, and took in a deep breath. It was as if a sweet breeze that carried her perfume mysteriously passed through the room that only he could smell. He placed a hand over Lena's hand on his chest and the other on his neck.

"So amante." Matty said in a breathless whisper.

"Mr. Michelli, are you alright?" Mona said as she heard him mumble.

"Jes, Bella Mona. I am perfect." Matty said as the last tear he had left dropped down his check.

"Lena, it's time for us to go."

"Jes, I know."

As they turned to leave, Joseph asked, "What did you tell him?"

Lena looked up and said, "I told a him dat I am safe and dat he didn't need to cry for a me anymore."

An hour and a half later, a few of the neighborhood women were in the kitchen tiding up. Mona and Robert were sitting with Matty, enjoying a quiet moment.

"Can you believe those two?" Mona said watching Angela and Anthony out the window.

"They really seem to get along well together." Robert said smiling, as Angela waved at him through the window. "It's too bad that we don't live closer together."

"She seems so different around him, too. Angela is such a quiet kid. I don't think I've seen her take to another child, much less a boy, so quickly."

Angela looked through the glass, "Hey, Anthony. What do you think they're talking about?"

"Who? Our parents? Beats the heck out of me. Knowing my Pop, he's trying to figure out a way to get us married off."

"Married?! You're only seven."

"Yeah, but like he always tells me, 'Better early den ne'ver.'" Anthony did his best to imitate his father's accent.

"That's so silly. I don't think I'll get married for a long, long time." Angela said admiring her fingernails and rubbing them on her shoulder. "I want to go to college and become a business woman. Daddy says I can do anything I put my mind to."

"Business, huh? Well, my wife is going to stay home and take care of me and the kids. That's what my mom did and she seemed pretty happy."

"Well, my mom does that too, but I can tell she wishes she could be doing something else. She has big plans for when I'm older. She's told me she wants to go back to school, but it's just not time yet. For now, though, she seems happy enough."

"Adults," Anthony said. "They make life so complicated. When I grow up and I meet the girl I'm gonna marry, none of this 'should I tell her I like her or not' stuff. I'm going walk right up to her and kiss her the first time I see her. She's gonna know how I feel right from the beginning."

"Really, what if she doesn't love you?"

"She'll love me because we'll both know. Something will be there in our eyes."

"That just sounds dumb. How come you know so much for a second grader?"

"My mom used to watch "These are My Children" on NBC every afternoon."

"Silly kid."

There was a tap at the window and they both looked up startled. Mona was motioning for them to come back inside.

"Well, I hope that the girl, the one who'll "know," decides to drag things out as looong as humanly possible."

"We'll see, we'll see." Anthony said arrogantly.

As the Robinsons' gathered with the Micellis' at the door, Matty couldn't help but feel a peace sweep over the group.

"Again, Mr. Michelli, thank you for welcoming us into your home."

"It a was a my plezure. If dere is anyting I can do for a jou Mr. Robenison, plez do not hesitate to ask." He extended his hand and Robert shook his hand firmly in return.

"Until we meet again, Mr. Michelli."

"Until we meet again, Mr. Robenison."

As they walked out the door, Angela turned to look at the boy standing next to his father. "Hey Anthony, whoever she is, she'll be pretty lucky. You're a great kid."

Chapter 6: Finding that Connection

Will be up after I finish rewriting it for the fifth time.


	6. Chapter 6: Finding that Connection

-1Chapter 6: "Making that Connection"

After the funeral, Joseph realized that Lena needed some down time, time to take everything in. Instead of taking her back to another room crowded with people and new places to see, he thought he'd take her back to her favorite spot to think.

They left the doorway of the Micelli's apartment and within a blink, they were seated on a bench under Lena's favorite tree. Here she had a perfect view of the empty lot where Anthony and his neighborhood friends played baseball.

"How are you doing?" He said noticing that she hadn't spoken after a while.

"Vell, Josef. Honestly, everyting is a happenin' so fast. I'm trying to take a de whole ting in."

"I know, it does take some getting used to." He said looking at a group of boys approaching the lot. "I feel like I've only been here a week. Time really does fly after we're gone."

"I can't believe my time with my son is a over."

"It will never be over, Beautiful Lena."

She turned hopefully to Joseph waiting for some great revelation.

"When you're not busy trying to save his love life, you'll have more than enough time to spend keeping an eye on him. The thing up here is, that the busier you are, the faster the time seems to go until you're together again."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"So what do we have tu do next?" She said anxiously, eager to test his theory.

"Well, right now we can take a few more moments to watch Anthony, if you want?"

"Antony? Where is he, I don't see him?" She said in anticipation.

"He's right there, on second base."

She put her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun, thinking that was the reason she couldn't see him. She finally found him in the crowd and smiled as he caught an easy pop up. As she watched the ball land in his glove, she noticed that the outfits that he and the other boys were wearing began changing. The trees in the neighborhood around the lot were losing and regaining their leaves at an alarming rate. The seasons seemed to change over and over again, just as her son changed in size and strength. She watched as her seven year old's wiry frame matured into that of a strong five foot one inch twelve year-old.

"I told you time would go by quickly, if you kept busy."

"But Josef, we just saw him. . .," she said in amazement.

"I know, but don't you worry. This is just for your benefit. Life has gone on as normal for Anthony and Matty."

"But. . ."

"Does he miss you? Beautiful Lena, need you ask?"

"I know." She lovingly looked over at her son and in that moment, he turned thoughtfully to look at the bench. She smiled hoping that he could at least feel her gaze.

"He knows, Lena. He knows you love him. That is the one thing in his life that he has never doubted. Angela helped him remember that."

"Angela. Has he seen her since de funeral?"

"Yes, in fact they met for the second time at summer camp just last year. They were actually each other's first kiss."

"Oh my goodness, I wesh I could have seen a dat."

"Lena, would you want your mother watching you have your first kiss?"

She blushed a little, "I guess I see jour point."

"Well, if all goes according to schedule they shouldn't meet up again until 1984."

In a state of complete show, she said, in almost a yell, "Every time I thinka I am a starting to figure dis whole ting out, jou throw a curve ball at me! Jou are starting to drive me cray-zee! If dey are not gonna meet again for another twenty-one years, why was it so important for us to get my Matty and Robert together?"

"Do you remember how I was talking about giving them a little encouragement?"

"Jes."

"Well, Tony and Angela are going to need all the encouragment they can get. I guess I should start with the money. Remember the money that Robert gave to Matty?"

"Jes."

"Well, that money was very important in the eternal scheme of things. If I hadn't convinced Robert that it was a nice day to take a walk, he wouldn't have gone downstairs and overheard Matty's conversation with the banker. If he hadn't stepped in, he wouldn't have given Matty the money and Matty would have had to pawn the watch for a hundred dollars. He would have had no way to pay for Mateo to come from Italy. If Mateo never comes, next year Anthony won't have a reason to feel guilty about making him miss his swearing in ceremony and twenty-nine years from now Angela and Tony will not share a hug."

"You mean, all of a dis is for one measily hug?"

"Well, it should be a pretty powerful moment for them, but like I told you, they are going to take some work."

"Jour're kidding me, right?"

"I wish I were, but the pocket watch will play one more important part in their love story."

"But Josef, he gave the watch to Robert. And a knowing my husband, he will not be taking it back."

"Robert will find a way to make sure he does. In fact, that's what our next assignment is. Are you ready to go?"

"Before we leave, how does a dis spending time watching him ting work," she said still starring at baseball game in front of her.

"Anytime you want to spend time with him, just close your eyes. He'll be there. One big thing to remember is that you can't interfere when you're watching him. The only time you can help him out is when you have someone with you, on assignment. The Big Man is really big on the buddy system. Also, there are certain things we can't change. Remember they don't have to listen to us. They are still free, whether we want them to or not, to make the wrong choice."

"But earlier. . . jou were alone when jou went to go get Robert in the bank."

"Well, technically. . . you were in the building." He said putting his fingers up to his lips.

Lena giggled a little as she continued to watch her son play.

"Now that's what I've been waiting for. Your mother told me your laugh was legendary."

"Before we leave, one more questy-on."

"Fire away."

"If dey are not supposed to met again until 1984, when are Sambina and Jonathan supposed to arrive?"

"If you think I've confused you now, just wait until you hear this. This is explanation is going to take a while."

With Joseph's hand in hers, they disappeared.

As the boys finished the game, Vinny started teasing Anthony. "So Micelli, Bobbie over here tells me you hope to get some more lip action next week at camp."

"Well, I don't know, but if the love of my life, Ingrid, is there again this year, fireworks are gonna fly!"

"There is a connection between Heaven and Earth. Finding that connection makes everything meaningful, including death. Missing it makes everything meaningless, including life." The Other Side of Heaven(2001)

Ch 7: Written on Da Stars coming after a few more read throughs

© Ilda Jensen Spurgeon


	7. Chapter 7: Written on da Stars

Chapter 7: "Written on da Stars"

The next week went by and before he knew it, Anthony stood at "Kissing Rock" combing his hair. The year since he'd last seen "Ingrid" had past quickly for the twelve year old. As he stood at the rock, kicking the small pebbles in front of the large boulder, he said her name over and over in his mind. Pre-teen anticipation burned into his chest as he realized that if he kissed her tonight, he wouldn't be kissing a thirteen year old girl. He'd be kissing a woman of fourteen. A broad smile came across his face as he imagined the moment.

He turned quickly as he heard the rustling of branches in the distance. He smiled once again knowing that she would be coming down the path within a few minutes. Eagerly awaiting her arrival, he breathed into his hand to check his breath and smelled both arm pits to make sure he was presentable.

As a pale hand parted the branches in front the path, Anthony quickly realized he was in for a surprise. Instead of the girl of his dreams, there appeared a slightly overweight, pigtailed, pimply faced blonde.

As she made her way toward him, his shock became outwardly apparent. He tried to hold in his disappointment, but his voice shook as he tried to call her name.

"Ingrid?" He said hoping he was having a nightmare.

"No, it's not dunder head. My name's Alice."

He tried to be discreet, but the sigh of relief was louder than he planned.

"Don't worry, I'm not that excited to be here myself. I'm just the messenger."

"Messenger?" Anthony said with renewed disappointment.

"You're Anthony, right?" She said with obvious irritation.

"Yeah, what gives?"

"She told me to give you this." She handed him a folded letter and disappeared back through the trees.

He opened the letter, but as he tried to read it, a cloud past over the moon and darkened his hopes for an answer. Swiftly, he ran back to camp, leaving behind a few boys who were hoping to collect on a new bet. While the other boys from camp were settling into their bunks for the evening, Anthony found himself standing under the only lamppost still lit at the Y camp. He opened the letter and caught a wif of her bug spray he remembered so well from the year before. Taking a deep breathe, he looked at her handwriting and began to read.

Dear Anthony,

I am so sorry that I wasn't able to see you tonight. I know we promised each other last year that we'd meet, but something has come up. I don't have much time to write. My grandmother is here to pick me up. She says my dad is in the hospital and that things don't look good. Grandma doesn't think I'm coming back.

I don't know if you're a praying person, but if you can, please say one for my dad.

I have to go.

An Ingrid

Mona paced back and forth in front of the big mahogany desk. With every pass, she let her fingers glide across the desk's edge. Little did she know, she was subconsciously memorizing every bump and nick of the grain. Deep down, she knew soon that she would have to leave the desk and the office behind. Looking around the room, she saw how cold it now appeared.

Most of Robert's personal items were already packed away in the boxes near the big oak door. His family pictures and personal mementos had done a lot to bring cheer into his rough world of business. Mona thought about how she had helped him put up the pictures and decorate the room when he had received his big promotion to vice president. Even when she had been jealous of the other world that seemed to consume so much of his time, she still loved coming here.

She walked around the desk and took a seat in the leather chair. She rubbed the chair's well worn arms and lost herself in the world outside the window.

"Mr. Michelli is here." An older Ms. Jensen said, opening the door to let the humble looking gentleman into the room. She paused for a minute waiting for an answer.

"Mrs. Robinson," she said again. When she didn't get an answer, she took a couple steps into the room.

"Ms. Jenesen," he said whispering to her. "May I?"

The kind old woman smiled and left the two of them alone in the room.

Matty made his way to the leather chair behind the desk and slowly lowered himself to his knees next to it. He softly placed his rough hands on top of her smooth, soft ones. She didn't break her gaze with the window, but his touch brought a tear speeding down her cheek.

"You know that he spoke of you often, Matty." Finally looking down, she put one of her hands over top of his.

"I know Mrs. Robenison. I am truly 'onored tu be able tu have called him my friend."

"How is Anthony?"

"Oh, Mrs. Robenison. He is a wonderful boy. He is up at summer camp again this summer. I am sorry he couldn't make it to the funeral with me."

"I'm sorry that Angela and I haven't seen you since your wife's. . . " She was unable to complete the sentence.

"Mrs. Robenison, it tis enough to know that jou wanted to." He pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her.

"Thank you, Matty."

"Is dere anyting I can do for you Mrs. Robenison?"

"No Matty. I'm fine. . . I'll be fine."

"Remem-bear, jou told me dat I needed to find someone to talk a to. I tink a de same ting goes for jou now. I do have a two shoulders if a jou need one to cry on."

"Thank you, Matty. I truly do appreciate it." She wiped her eyes and tried her best to smile. "I know Robert would be so happy that you're looking out for me."

"Anytime Mrs. Robenison." He rose to his feet and looked out the window at the passing people and cars on the street below. "Jou know dat de first time I met a Mr. Robenison, I felt dat a knew him. He jus had a warmth a in a he's eyes dat I had a never seen in a stranger before."

As Mona collected herself, she reached over to a drawer on one of the short wooden file cabinets behind her husband's desk. The drawer was empty except for an old wooden cigar box. She reached in and pulled it out. Without another word, she stood up and handed it to Matty.

"What is a dis?" He lifted the lid and found his gold pocket watch. "My watch." He gingerly lifted the watch from its hiding place and put down the box. He ran his fingers up and down his old friend and sighed as he held it up to his chest. "Amore mio."

"I knew you liked the watch, but a. . ." She said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Oh, I a sorry, Mrs. Robenison. I am so sorry. It's jus dat my wiffe, Lena. She is de one dat a gave me dis a watch."

In surprise and sorrow she turned to him and sweetly said,

"Matty, why didn't you say something?"

Trying to ignore her question, he said, "I still remem-bear when she a gave it to me. She said dat our love was a 'written on da stars,' den she pulled out de watch and said, 'It's time I said I love jou."

"How beautiful. And for you to go and make a bone head move by giving it away." She reached over and took a playful smack at his arm.

Matty smiled for a moment and then turned to Mona solemnly. "I hada tu. Because it was all I hada tu give. It was my only treasure. Both emotionally and monetarily. I know I should of said a someting, but I knew in my heart dat it was the right ting tu do."

"Well, I'm glad that it is back in your hands now." She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a white envelope. "This is also for you."

Matty put the watch in his pant's pocket and took the envelope from Mona.

"Robert asked me to take down this letter to you the night before he passed on."

Matty walked around to the front of the desk and sat down in one of the two chairs. Opening up the letter he read:

"Dear Matty,

I knew it's been a few weeks since we've last spoken, but it seems like my hectic schedule has finally gotten the better of me. As I lay here now, I want you to know how much I look up to you as a gentleman, as a father and as a friend. You're friendship has meant the world to me these last five years and I am so grateful for the day I decided to take that walk. I really feel as if fate helped our paths cross that day and for that I will be eternally grateful for.

I've told my Mona where to find the pocket watch in my office and have asked her to see that you get it. Please keep it or give it to Anthony.

Now we are even my friend,

Robert"

"He always a liked tu have a de last word dat man." Matty grinned from ear to ear. "Tank a jou, Mrs. Robenison."

"Thank you, Matty."

"Plez Mrs. Robenison, if der is anyting I can a do for jou. Plez let a me know."

"I will."

Pulling out his pocket watch, he looked down at the time.

"Mrs. Robenison, I am so sorry, but I have to get back to work."

"Until we meet again, Matty?"

"Until we meet again, Mrs. Robenison."

"Call me Mona."

"Who knew you were such a poet Robert?" Joseph said teasing Robert. "And you Lena, how could you not tell me that you were the one that gave him the pocketwatch?"

"I guess jou should have a done jour research, Josef." Lena said jabbing Joseph right back.

Do you believe in "Destiny?"

Todo el mundo cre en el destino.

(The whole world believes in destiny.)

It is a written on da stars.

--Only You (1994)

© Ilda Jensen Spurgeon


	8. Chapter 8: Go Fish

Chapter 8: Go Fish

As the next few "days" went by, Lena spent most of her time getting acquainted with her new role as her son's matchmaker and look out. Joseph tried his best to explain everything he could to her. Unfortunately, she kept feeling like the info she was receiving was only on a "need to know" basis. She tried to be understanding, but her motherly concern for her son always kept coming to the forefront of any of their discussions. Joseph tried to tell about the importance of choice. It had taken him a quite a while to help her understand that even good choices could sometimes be painful and that wrong choices could eventually be building tools to help define a person's character.

Once she got used to the fact that she couldn't influence her son's every move, she took pleasure in just spending time beside him. As her ability to look in on him got better, she began to feel more comfortable just popping in and out of his life from time to time.

She began to be so comfortable, that when Robert came running towards her one day, she panicked wondering what had happened to Tony.

She, Grandpa Mateo and the Widow Tuscarino had been playing a game of Go Fish in one of Heaven's many court yards.

"Lena, Tony's okay," he said noticing the look of terror on her face. "We've just run into some trouble and it's time for your first leader assignment." Robert said as he approached their table.

"Really, Robert?"

"Well, we've run into a problem."

"Problem?"

"Yes it seems that love has taken Angela on a detour that I wasn't expecting. Joseph and I have to go try and intervene. If we're not careful she and Tony will find themselves on a collision course to fall in love today."

"But wouldn't dat be wonderful!" She said excitedly, "So many more years together, so much more time."

"Yes, but they're not ready yet. If they were to fall today it would, could be love, but not the kind that lasts. They have too much to learn from life yet. Tony needs Marie."

Lena sighed thinking about so many questions that still had not been answered.

Taking in her cold stare, Robert tried to pick up the pieces of his pride, "Yes, I know. Joseph just told me about her this morning. I'm sorry, but I don't have time to explain the whole story. We're going to have to call in the big guns and I'm going to need you to lead the charge."

After a brief summary of the situation, Robert told her that he and Joseph had to try to stop Angela from leaving the dorm.

"Has anyone seen Joseph?" Robert said before he turned to leave.

Grandpa Mateo ran his finger under his collar, a little nervously. "De last time I saw Josef, he was. . . a. . .with de 2006 Sport Illustrated Swimsuit Models."

"And I wonder where Mona gets it." Robert said under his breath.

Lena ran through the courtyard, into the "train station" and into the hallway that was labeled "Earth." As quickly as she could, she weaved her way through men and woman walking down the hallway. The hallway opened up in a different kind of waiting room. This one had different doors up and down each side with the years labeled on the doors. She began running up and down looking into each of the rooms.

"Sambina!! Jona-ton!!" She yelled trying to find them.

"Sambi..."

"Grandmama?" Samantha yelled sticking her head out of a door labeled 1972. "What's going on?"

"I need jou and Jona-ton to come with me RIGHT now!"

"But Grandmama, it's almost our turn to leave."

"Well, if jou and Jona-ton don't help me know, you won't be calling me Grandmama for very much longer."

"What?"

"I'll explain on de way."

Chapter 9: The Detour

© Ilda Jensen Spurgeon


	9. Chapter 9: The Detour

Chapter 9: The Detour

With her two grandchildren in tow, Lena closed her eyes and they found themselves standing outside a little bus station in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

"What are we doing here Nana?"

"Unfortunately, we are here tu stop a dat." She motioned to the couple who was exiting a small diner and walking across the street back to the bus station.

Lena looked over at the happy couple and hated what she knew Sam and Jonathan needed to do. The threesome stood for a while, getting lost in the couple's conversation.

"_**Jonathan and Samantha," the young man said with a giggle.**_

"_**Who?" Said the blonde woman in the Boston Red Sox sweat shirt.**_

"_**You and Michael's kids."**_

"_**Oh, them. That is kind of funny, isn't it."**_

"_**No, I think it's cute. Any. . particular reason for the names?"**_

"_**Not really, I've just always liked them. I just always saw myself with a little boy and a little girl and the names just seemed to fit."**_

"_**I could see that."**_** The young Italian said.**

"Is that Mom and Tony?" Jonathan asked in excitement.

"Jes," Lena replied hesitantly.

"But I thought Great Grandpa Joe said they weren't going to meet up until I was eleven." Samantha said wondering where the joke was.

"Well dat is what is supposed to happen. But sometimes people who are meant tu be tugether, find each other before they are really ready too."

The threesome continued watching the pair as they sat down on a bench out in front of the bus station.

"Do we have too?" Jonathan said, resenting what he had to do.

"Jes."

As they thought about their course of action, Angela began to tell Tony the story of how she was born in the back seat of her parent's car.

_**"They were driving down the highway when Mom started yelling, 'Pull Over! Pull Over! We're not gonna make!' Dad panicked. He pulled over and climbed into the back seat. He'd left the door open, so a passing police officer pulled over to warn him. They ended up delivering me right then and there." **_

"_**Really? You're joking."**_

Robert and Joseph appeared in the door way of the bus station.

"What took jou so long?"

"The 'Guidance Counselor' over here was too busy giving some Heavenly tours to some newbies," Robert said in renewed frustration.

"Hey, they were a little lost," Joseph smiled. "I was just giving them some directions."

Lena rolled her eyes wondering how in all of Heaven, he had made his way into her family.

"What's going on?" Joseph asked, trying to take Lena's focus off himself.

"I guess I'm enjoying watching my boy with his a future wife. Don't a give a me a hard time okay."

Angela continued, **"Well, as my Dad was looking for something in the trunk to wrap me in, a man tapped him on the shoulder. It turned out this guy was a doctor. He asked if he could make sure that my Mom and I were okay. Of course, Dad said yes. **

"What a great day that was. I remember that as if it were yesterday." Robert smiled watching his daughter.

_**He checked us each over and gave us a clean bill of health. Dad walked over to close the trunk and said, "Sir, what do I owe you?" But there was no answer. He looked up and realized that the man had completely disappeared. There was no trace of him anywhere."**_

"That was Tony's last assignment before coming to Earth, for real." Joseph said running his fingers down the lapels of his white bathrobe.

Lena and Robert's jaws dropped in unison.

"You didn't know that?" Joseph said in surprise.

"No!"

"_**Wow, " Tony said in amazement.**_

"_**The policeman and my father questioned other people who had stopped and no one remembered seeing the doctor.**_

"Sam. . . Jonathan. . . , you know what you need to do." Robert said.

"Plez a Josef, give dem a minute to enjoy a little piece of a happiness. Plez!"

"Five minutes is the most I can give them, Beautiful Lena." Joseph said with a smile.

"Well, den. . . five vill have tu be enough."

"_**Seems to me that someone up in Heaven wanted to make sure you got off to a good start."**_

"A few people down here too," Joseph joked. He slowly spun his finger in a circle and the world around the couple began to slow. Cars and truck moved by at a snail's pace. Birds in mid flight appeared to be moving in slow motion. Without noticing the changes going on around them, Angela and Tony leaned in for their first kiss since Kissing Rock. To them, they were both two strangers filled with the excitement of instant attraction. To the on lookers, they were two people meant to be together with a lot more of life's lessons to learn first.

"I tink we ought tu give dem at least a little privacy, people." She elbowed the people next to her and they all turned around with their backs to the couple.

**She went limp as she felt his arms around her and felt him pull her closer to him. The kiss wasn't gentle but carried with it a feeling of peace that she'd never experienced in any other kiss. His arms enveloped her completely. He took her breathe away.**

"I'm sorry, Lena, but it's time for these two love birds to come up for air."

"Are jou sure dat was really five minutes, Josef?"

"Yes, Lena it was."

_**This was it, they both thought.**_

"Kids," Robert said, reminding Sam and Jonathan of the inevitable.

Sam walked over to Tony and Jonathan over to Angela. At the second they began to break the kiss for their first breath, the kids put their hand's over their parent's hearts.

"Don't forget about me, Dad." Samantha whispered in her father's ear.

"It's not time yet, Mom." Jonathan whispered.

A chill of insecurity swept over the pair.

_**Then it wasn't. When the kiss was over, they pulled apart and took a good look at one another. **_

_**"What was. . ." He said trying to figure out his feelings.**_

_**"I know that was weird." Realizing once again that her word choice was off. "I don't mean weird "bad". . ."**_

_**"No, I know what you mean."**_

_**"There is something there, isn't there?"**_

_**"Yes, but something doesn't feel right."**_

_**"Like maybe. . ."**_

_**"It's not time."**_

"Is it going to be enough?" Samantha said.

"Jes," said Lena as a tear began to trickle down her cheek.

"Sam and Jonathan, come on, I'll take you back. Your turn to come to Earth is almost here Samantha," Joseph said putting his arms around his great grandchildren. "We'd better go."

As the grandchildren left with Joseph, Robert came up behind Lena. "Do you want me to stay with you?" Robert said putting his arm around her shoulder.

She continued watching the couple thinking about what the next thirteen years would be like for each of them without each other.

"Robert, I never knew being a mother would be so hard. Jou want to shield jour child. Protect dem from heart ache and make a sure dey are happy all de time."

"But Lena, you can't know _true happiness _if you never know _true sorrow. _That's what this whole ball game is all about. Tony is never going to be able to be the man that Angela needs and might I say deserves, if he doesn't lose Marie. I know losing her will be the hardest thing that he'll ever have to go through, but in the end he will be so much happier with Angela because of it.

**Tony held her in his arms, trying to figure out a way to make the moment last as long as possible.**

"**I don't know how to explain this. You're gonna think I'm crazy," he said. "But I have a feeling that if we play our cards right, we'll meet again. And if and when we do, we'll know it'll be for keeps."**

"**How can you be so sure?"**

"**Because sometimes you have to say goodbye to say hello, again."**

"Are you ready to go Lena?"

Chapter 10: The Next Day


	10. Chapter 10: The Next Day

**1984**

**Tony stood at the counter washing the dinner dishes, thinking about his conversation with Sam. About half an hour before, he had finally worked up the courage to tell her they were moving to Connecticut. He had accepted a job as a manager of an apartment building. But his news didn't received the excitement he'd hoped for. She didn't seem happy, especially at the prospect of moving right into another apartment. When the conversation turned to an eccentric woman who lived there, who had a daughter who was looking for a housekeeper, Samantha's interest was peeked.**

**"**_**Me a housekeeper?**_**" He thought to himself.**

**He was standing alone now, in their small one bedroom apartment. After their discussion, Samantha had been so excited that he'd had to tell her three times to get to the bathroom to get ready for bed. She had seemed so happy when he'd brought up the idea of them actually living in a house. He knew that the smile on her face had sealed the deal. And so did everyone else in the room.**

**"I can't believe tumorrow is de big day," Matty said. He, Joseph, Robert and Lena were sitting at Tony's small table watching their favorite boy. As they watched him dry the dishes and put them away, each of them couldn't help but be a little proud. He had gone through so many trials in his young life, but yet he had come out on the other side a better man. **

**"I am so glad he had jou as such a good example, Matty. Jou worked so hard to help him become de man dat he is." Lena was still all a glow from being reunited with her husband that morning. She was so glad that Tony had taken on the role of a single father as well as his father had. **

**"Where have you been?" Joseph said as he watched Marie appear a few feet in front of them.**

**"I was just checking on my Sambina." She walked over and stood next to Tony. "She's growing so quickly. I'm so glad they're leaving Brooklyn. Did you all see?" She tried to smack him hard on the shoulder, but in her new state it had no effect. "She's got another shiner."**

**"Vell, don't jou worry about dat, Marie." Matty said, offering his seat to her. **

**"Besides," said Lena. "Tumorrow is goin' tu be the conclusion of a very long week."**

**"What do you mean 'conclusion'? Tomorrow is when the work begins." Joseph said trying to pick something out from between his teeth. "We are going to be busier than ever for the next long while. If everything goes according to plan they should end up together somewhere around the fall of 1986."**

**"Jou know jou are not a very good teller of de jokes, Josef," Lena said. She tried laughing, but realized that neither Joseph, Robert or Marie was smiling. "Okay, how come every one else seems tu know but a me? Jou guys are all a ways leaving me in de dark."**

**"Well, Lena, remember you do have a tendency to want to take things into your own hands. Remember when Tony got off the bus? You were trying to get him to find Marie's that very same day. But Lena, that's not how it works. He had to find her on his own. We can't force them into situations. We can make suggestions, but it's up to them to decide what to do next. He and Angela have got to chose for themselves."**

**"But what about dat speech he gave when he was seven, about "knowing her when he saw her"?" She said, a little sarcastically.**

**"He did. Remember, that's what happened with me." Marie looked over at Tony. He had finished the dishes and had walked over to the sofa, grabbing a picture of his wife.**

**"Well, Marie. What do you think?" Tony said talking to the picture.**

**"I think it's a good move, Tony." Marie loving answered his question, knowing full well he couldn't hear her. She moved over to the couch to be near him.**

**"You think so?" He said, imagining what her next line would have been.**

**"Yes, sweetheart."**

**"Are you sure?"**

**"Yes, already!" Marie waving her palm in front of her face. She looked over at him with all the frustration of a wife listening to her stubborn husband. "Things never change with him." She turned to look at the group. "See Lena, this is why it's going to take a while. Heaven help Angela. I really love the guy, but man oh man."**

**"It doesn't get any easier, Marie." Robert tried to reassure her frustration. "Every time Mona goes out on a date, I have a conversation with her about playing hard to get and dressing a little less seductively. She doesn't listen to me either."**

**"But why is it goin' tu take two years?" Lena interjected.**

**"Well, they are very different from the young adults they were thirteen years ago. They both have been hurt by love now. Tony by losing Marie and Angela by that self-centered, egotistical, belly crawling, toad of a guy she married. Pardon my french." Robert said composing himself. "It's going to take both of them time to get over the sting. It's going to take a while for them to get to know each other and comfortable enough with each other to actually fall in love. Besides, Angela's still married, remember?"**

**"Dat Michael makes a me so mad." Matty said tapping the table. "If it weren't for de fact dat he was Jon-aton's father. . ."**

**"Calm down Matty." Lena said taking his hand.**

**"Okay everyone, is there anything we need to do to help him in his next two days?" Robert said looking down at this list. A large list, almost as long as Santa's, had appeared in front of the group. There were several hundred things already crossed out. Glancing over it, Lena felt overwhelmed about all the work that had taken place already. She mumbled to herself as she read through a few of them. **

**406.****Suggest to Carmella that making fliers to advertise the fish market would be a good idea****... **

**421. Make sure that flyer finds its way to Martin, the chef at the Country Club****... **

**714. Suggest to Carmine today would be a good day to call in sick to work**

**715. Suggest to Carmella that Tony should drive the truck into Connecticut****...**

**735. Suggest to Tony that applying for the apartment manager job would be a great idea****... **

**747. Hide Mona's Abnormal Psychology Book, so she has to go back in apartment book to look for it****... **

**787. Suggest to Samantha that Connecticut would be an awesome place to live****... **

**"Is there anything else to add right now?" Robert said pulling out a feather pen.**

**"Not that. . Duh. We've got to get him to call Mona." Joseph said still trying to get the piece of chicken out of his teeth.**

**"Duh?" Robert looked at him with great exasperation. "That's not a word I'd expect from you."**

**"Okay, I promise I'll leave the Heavenly newbies alone." Turning his head so Robert couldn't hear, "For now."**

**"Thank you. Now can we get back to the plan."**

**"I'll take care of that," Marie said.**

**"Are you sure Marie?" Matty said with a note of concern.**

**"Angela will make him happy Matty, you know that's all I've ever wanted for him." Marie raised the window and a gentle breeze blew the photo Mona had given him out of his pocket and onto the floor next to his foot. **

**Mona, being the eternal match maker that she was, didn't need much inspiration from the group when it came to helping people get together. Mona always knew just the right thing to say to spark anybody's romantic side. In hopes of imprinting Angela's face into his head, she'd written Angela's address and phone number on the back of the picture that she'd shown him in her apartment building's lobby.**

**Tony put Marie's picture back on the table and noticed Angela and Jonathan's picture on the floor.**

**"So, me working for you." Tony said to the picture. "I could definitely get used to that."**

**Everything seemed to be falling into place, but Lena still couldn't help but be a little concerned.**

**"But a housekeeper? It's not dat I don't like the idea of him being able tu spend more time with Sambina. But couldn't we have come up with someting better den dat?"**

**Chapter 11: Joseph's Only Job (coming up next)**

(You're not bored yet are you?)


	11. Chapter 11: The Doubt of Fate

**Ch 11: Joseph's Only Job**

**"Jour one job!" Lena yelled. "Jour only job!"**

**"I'm sorry," Joseph said as he sat with his head bowed once again in the heavenly courtyard. People were now starring at Lena and the other members of the group as they past. It was very unusual to hear anger in Heaven. But here it was and for a very good reason.**

**"We've been planning for dis day since, umpah, since before dey were born and jou throw it all away to spend time with a couple of twins." **

**"They were getting ready to leave to come down, it was the last time I was going to see them for a while." Joseph said, trying to justify his very feeble actions. "Besides, they're going to be famous. They're going to have their own t.v. show on Friday nights."**

**"But Josef! Dis was not time to play "De Love Connection." Dis is our childrens we're talking about. My goodness, will jou not leave any pretty girl alone? Tank goodness, we are related. Who knows what jou wood have tried with me!"**

**"I mean de special effects alone! Do jou know how much time and energy it takes to produce a day dream like the two of them experienced tonight? Dat stuff doesn't come cheap!"**

**"I'm sorry, all I can say is I'm sorry."**

**"Well, jou better start tinking up a way to fix dis mess."**

**Lena closed her eyes in an attempt to squash her anger and upon opening them again, found herself in her new favorite spot. She was sitting on the white chair in between the back entrance of Angela's house and her study. From here, she could see what was happening without feeling like she was intruding. She sat watching what she had hoped would be a warm moment between her son and Angela. Earlier that day, she had expected to see them joined in their first real kisses as a couple. Instead, she found them sitting awkwardly staring at each other, thinking about all the doubts that had surfaced that day.**

**"I could a kill him, if he weren't already dead." Lena said to herself, thinking about Joseph's mistake. "All he was supposed to do that day" she arguing to herself "was make sure that "Fred and Ginger" didn't get to the reception. He could have hidden their keys, he could have changed a road sign. He could have done any number or things, but no. He was once again flirting with girls seventy-five years younger."**

**As she watched the silent couple, her anger turned to sadness when she thought about all Angela and Tony had gone through in the last "two years." How many "suggestions" had "The Family" made to help them get as close as they were now? When she convinced Matty to leave his watch to Tony before his death, she'd hoped that Angela would be able to get Tony through his period of grief. And indeed, she had. That moment had been a pivotal one for their relationship. That experience helped them change from employer and housekeeper to friends, confidantes.**

**"The Family" had bent over backwards the night of their first adult kiss. There had been too many variables to consider, but everything, luckily, fell into place. Their kiss had gone off without a hitch. And even though, nothing more happened, Lena was satisfied in the belief that it was enough. Tony and Angela were able to discuss, at least for a moment, how powerful their attraction could be.**

**Lena sat there even agonizing over the night of their second anniversary dinner. As she sat there thinking about that night, she thought about how mad she was that Joseph had decided to play the appendix card. She thought it was another cruel way to keep them apart. Yet as the night had worn on, she finally saw Joseph's logic when she heard Tony admit his feelings for his friend. She was so sad when the next morning, reality set in for them and caution was no longer being thrown to the wind. She was sad to think that they couldn't admit their feelings, but was reassured by Robert that this was still a step closer.**

**So many baby steps. So many quiet lingering gazes. Her son had been there so many times for who Lena still believed would be his future wife, without even a word of pride. Together they'd helped each other with so many trials over the last two years, that the strength of their friendship grew exponential day by day. He had been her shoulder to cry on when her divorce was finalized and when she'd lost her job. But his strength and reassurance had helped her to overcome her fears, when she decided to start her own business.**

**Lena had put so much faith and energy into getting them to "today," that it's failure completely caught her off guard. She started to feel hopeless, wondering if the magic day would ever happen for them. **

**"Doubt is a powerful thing, Lena." She looked up and saw Robert standing behind her chair. "We need to be patient and encouraging right now. We've got to do our best to make sure the other team doesn't win. 'Doubt' is going to take them a while to get over."**

**"De other team?"**

**"There are people playing for the other team that know how good Angela and Tony will be together. And they hate that."**

**"But why should "de other team" care so much about dem?"**

**"Because of Kate. If they can keep them from falling in love, Kate will never be. And we can't let that happen, no matter what."**

**"Angela, I think I'm going to head off to bed." Tony finally said, when the silence became too much. He felt the awkwardness of his words as they escaped his lips.**

**She nodded in agreement and quietly walked up the stairs alone to bed. **

**Tony walked around the house, making sure everything was locked up. As he made his way to the back door, he looked out the window at the two vehicles parked in the back yard. Her stylish Sandlewood painted Jaguar, with its streamlines and brightly polished bumper and hubcabs, was parked closest to the house as always. His blue van parked just next to hers. The van still driveable, looked its age. The dents and rusting metal went well with the mismatched tires. It was rugged and familiar, yet in need of a lot of TLC. The similarity between the vehicles and their owners was abundantly apparent. As he looked at the vehicles, he realized how they were also making a statement about them, he and Angela as a couple.**

**"I'm never gonna be good enough for her." Tony whispered as he leaned on the door frame looking out the window.**

**"**_**Don't you ever say that Tony**_**." Tony turned around quickly, thinking that maybe Angela had heard his last sentence. When he saw no one behind him, he looked once more out the window and thought he saw something move by the van. He opened the door, but before he could even take a step outside, he heard Marie's voice on the wind. "**_**Tony, you already are**_**." Closing his eyes on the door step, he felt a warmth take over him.**

**Lena watched as Marie calmed Tony just as she had calmed Matty so many times before. With his eyes still closed, he placed his hand on his heart hoping to feel this comfort as long as he could. As the feeling started to dissipate, Tony went back inside, locked the door and headed up the stairs to his bed room. **

**As he reached the top of the steps, he finally took his hand from off his heart and quietly placed it on Angela's door. Standing there, absentmindedly, he ran his fingers along the grain. He was startled back into reality when he heard movement behind the door. Quickly, he turned to enter his own room.**

**"Tony." Angela said, opening her door and wrapping herself in her blue robe.**

**"Yes, Angela?" He said, pretending to be caught off guard.**

**"I just wanted to thank you for a lovely evening. I'm sorry that Fred and Ginger had to spoil the mood."**

**"That's okay, Angela. I had a great time anyway." Thinking about the vision of Angela in the wedding dress that was now etched into his heart.**

**"Good night, Tony." Angela said, thinking about him in his tuxedo.**

**"Good night, Angela." Tony waved to her as she closed her door behind her. **

**As each of them stood just inside their bedrooms, they leaned back against their doors, thinking.**

**"So, do jou have an ideas of how tu fix this, Robert? Lena said standing with Robert in the upstairs hallway.**

**"I think Marie just did."**

**"But they're not tugether. . ."**

**"Yes, but that doesn't mean they won't be. We're just going to have to make up a new game plan now. Unfortunately, it looks like this isn't going to be as easy as we thought. They've made up a whole different set of rules. We're going to have to take this a day at a time. All I know for sure is that Kate is supposed to be born in 1993, I think we have plenty of time."**

**Chapter 12: A Whole New Ball Game (will be up soon, I promise)**


	12. Chapter 12: A Whole New Ball Game

Ch 12: A Whole New Ball Game

With all the work that had gone into trying to get Tony and Angela together the night of Isabel and Paul's wedding, Lena had been nervous about trying something else. She had taken comfort in her belief that they were nearing the end of their journey to find each other. Some how the rules had now changed and she along with everyone else in the group began to be nervous about the couple's future. Yet as the days and weeks went by, Lena realized that she didn't have as much to worry about as she thought. Even with Angela's new boyfriend, Geoffrey "vith a G", in the picture she knew deep down there wasn't anything to worry about.

With Mona playing defense, their job was pretty easy. She was always hinting and pushing them, trying to help them along. Lena and the rest just had to help make sure that Tony and Angela were actually paying attention to her hints. They'd give a few elbow nudges here and there. Sometimes, some help with a few distractions or the rearranging of schedules to make sure they had a moment or two to talk or share a quiet moment.

Slowly, but surely little things happened to bring the twosome closer. Lena was so pleased to see how much of it happened without an ounce of help from "The Family." A vase and a baseball card. A dance in the living room. A kiss in a van. Their little dances and innocent flirtations made Lena hope again that sooner or later things would work out for them, that there was a way they could make things work. Tony had even tried moving into his own place, but the familiarity of home and Lena's innocent whisperings of homesickness in his ear eventually brought him back.

Things seemed to be progressing until the day of the street fair, when Tony met up with Frankie, a girl from his old neighborhood. Lena felt her own heartache as she saw the look on Angela's face when the chemistry between Tony and his old friend, sparked a dance and a kiss. Lena wanted to run to put her arm around Angela, smack Tony and to make Frankie disappear, but with a firm hand on her shoulder, Joseph stopped her.

Lena watched as Joseph snapped his fingers. The world around each of them completely frozen in time. Tony and Frankie kissing in front of the world. Angela sitting alone at the table with her hand on her lips and her heart on the floor.

"I know this is hard for you." Joseph said to Lena, as he walked over to Angela.

"No kiddin'." Lena said sarcastically, trying hard to keep her dignity by not saying what she was really thinking.

"Lena, she has to figure it out."

"What do jou mean 'figure it out? She loves him. She knows she does." She took a seat in front of Angela and reached over to brush away a tear that had stopped just under her tear duct.

"Does she?"

"Well. . .of course. I mean, isn't it obvious?" She pointed with both hands. "Day after day de feelings she has when she sees him, when she spends time with him."

"It maybe obvious to you Lena, but you're not her.

Every man she's ever loved for has left her. Me, her father and with the divorce, Michael. She's terrified of letting herself feel vulnerable enough to put herself out there again. She doesn't wear her emotions out in front of the world."

"But she's got tu know dat dat's what she's feeling."

"I think at this point, lying to herself is easier."

"Easier den what? Being alone? Being scared tu feel anything? Being jealous of something dat jou can't have because jou were tuu afraid tu try?"

"Like I said, Lena. She's not you."

"Well, we've got tu do someting tu help her understand, tu let go, tu be honest. . .vith herself."

"Not we, you."

"Me? But what can I do?"

"How good of an actress are you?"

"Are you sure this is going to work, Robert?" Lena said trying to get used to the sound of her new voice.

"Of course it is." Robert said smiling at her.

"But I'm not a psychiatrist. How am I going to know what to say to her?"

"Don't worry so much, it's not like you're not getting any help." Joseph said as he pointed up to the ceiling.

"But why me? Kate or Marie would be so much better at this."

"This is YOUR assignment. Don't complain too much, you know what the "Big Man" does with complainers."

"No. . ."

"I don't think you really want to know, Beautiful Lena. Besides you're a perfect fit."

"But where is Doctor Bellows?"

"She's taking a nice relaxing break for a few Earth minutes. We'll make it up to her later. She won't even realize that she's been gone. Your time with Angela will become hers. She won't even know the difference. Besides, you're the only one that Angela can talk to."

"She talks to Tony and to Mona."

"But not like this. You seem to have a connection with her that even I don't. More so than even the one you have with Tony."

"I don't understand." Lena said.

"And I don't have time to explain it to you, Angela's in the waiting room. Are you ready?"

"No. . ."

"Remember about complainers?"

"Okay, if I'm going to do this, you need to let me do this."

"Alright, alright, alright." Joseph replied quickly. "Hey, you mean you're not even going to let us watch?"

"You're in the building." Lena said, winking her eye.

As Lena welcomed Angela into the room, her borrowed knowledge flowed right out of her mouth. She felt completely comfortable in Dr. Bellows' personality and mannerisms and they suited her. She knew just what to say, not just from a psychiatrist's point of view, but also from her desire to help Angela as a friend and guardian. She was so happy to get to talk to Angela, one on one as a mother and friend would. Not just listening to conversations and watching body language, as usual. She was even pretty happy with her own R.B.I. answer. In that thirty minute session, Lena felt the connection that Joseph had spoken about. Angela was opening up to her in a way that she had never imagined.

_**"Yes. . . I love Tony." **_Angela admitted twenty-seven minutes into the session.

The epiphany brought relief to Angela. Lena almost felt all of Heaven taking a sigh of relief as well.

The matchmaker in her couldn't help but say, "_**It might help if he knew that**_."

She knew she had Angela on the ropes. She had to give her an answer and she thought this line of questioning could only help. Yet, it almost seemed like Angela was wanting her to make the decision for her.

"_**Well, I wish I could hear it from him first. You know when I was a kid and I wanted to play with somebody, I always had to do the asking. With my ex-husband, I'm the one who got down on my knees. Even Mother doesn't hug me unless I hug her first. For once, I. . . I just want someone else to go first." Angela pleaded, feeling like she had a great excuse. "Well, what do you think Doctor? **_

In that moment of revelation, Lena felt the Dr. Bellow's in her take over and words of wisdom gush from her mouth.

In all seriousness, she found herself saying, "_**Angela. . I think you might lose him.**_"

"Why did I say dat Robert?" Lena stressed about once they were in the living room with Tony again. "She's not ready tu do dat and it's not fair to ask her. She deserves to hear it first."

"But he's not there yet, Lena."

She walked up to Tony as he starred into space, leaning on the vacuum. "But he told her, he loved her. Remember de appendix?"

"Listen, Lena. If anybody believes that my daughter deserves a man like your son, it's me. If I could have picked almost any man in the world for her, I would have picked him. I'm not blind. I see the way she smiles when he walks into a room. I see the way he makes her feel after spending a few minutes talking alone with him. I see the blushes. If any one wishes that they could jump into the nearest body and shake some sense into them, it would be me. But I can't do that. I have to let her be strong enough to be brave sometimes, get hurt sometimes and at least for now, love him one-sidedly. She's not the only one that needs a break through. And sadly, I don't think that today is the last time she's going to be too afraid to speak and afraid of losing him to someone else.

"But I feel so helpless, Robert."

"What parent doesn't? How do you think the "Big Man" feels everyday?"

With a ring of the door bell, Lena stood in anticipation watching the scene between Frankie and Tony play out. A huge sigh of relief came to her heart as she realized what she knew deep down, that Tony didn't love Frankie. In that moment, she knew that today was not the day. Angela wouldn't have to be brave enough to tell Tony how she felt. She'd only have to be brave enough to love him alone.


	13. Chapter 13: If My Heart Could Only Talk

**Ch 13: Deep Thoughts with Tony Micelli**

"**Do jou guys see dat?" Lena said sitting crowded together with the other family members on the only empty bench on the train.**

"**Yes, Lena. We see it." Nick said looking out the window and not at Lena's intended target. "That smile is seven months old now. Yes, we've seen it."**

"**Ay, but my Bella Angela, she looks so happy now, lost in dat thought."**

"**Mi amore, she's been smiling like dat every free moment she's had since a dey came back." Matty said trying to appease his wife.**

"**I know, but I am just so grateful tu feel like a we are making some a progress."**

"**But Lena, that kiss was seven months ago, it's not like they've really done anything since then."**

"**I don't understand?" Lena said getting up from the bench and sitting next to Angela. "He's been jealous of de tennis guy and Dwayne."**

"**Well and they did kiss that one time in the living room." Robert said, trying to show her a little support.**

**"You call that a kiss, Robert." Joseph said laughing about the kiss Tony and Angela had shared in the living room after their reality check with Jane and Brad. "That was more like a demonstration than a show of affection."**

**"Vell, it is still a kiss and I honestly tink dat my son's break a through will come any day now." Lena said earnestly.**

"**Lena, just because she's smiling on the train, today like everyday, doesn't mean you should get your hopes up. She knows she loves him. It's Tony that needs to figure out a way to let himself feel what he feels for her." Robert said with a note of pessimism.**

"**I am vith jou, Robert." Matty said in agreement with Robert and the rest of the nodding the group. "Amore mio, I love jou and I know jou love our son. But let's face it he's been a big chicken. It is going tu take either a miracle or curse to make him see what is right in front of him. It's not going to happen today. Are jou ready to go?"**

"**Yeah, come on there Lena." Nick said. "Joseph and I have an appointment with a few . . ."**

"**I don't need tu hear with who dis time Nick. How jou and Joseph ever made it upstairs, Heaven only knows." With that Lena leaned down and kissed Angela on the cheek and the group of six disappeared. Leaving Angela, unexpectedly alone with Tony.**

**Angela exited the train and stood in the doorway of the station wondering how long she should wait before running to her car in the rain.**

**"Honk!" Tony slapped his hand down on his steering wheel trying to get Angela's attention. He knew she wasn't expecting him and knew he'd better catch her eye before she went to look for her car. The rain had been pouring for the last several hours with no sign of stopping.**

**Recognizing the horn, Angela turned around and saw Tony waving from inside his car. In her lady like way, she put her briefcase over her head and began to run towards him. Tony, as usually got out of the jeep and ran around her side to open the door. When she was within a few steps from him, a clap of thunder burst through the clouds. The noise spooked her and she tripped landing she and Tony in an ankle deep puddle of water.**

**"Tony I'm so sorry," she said as she tried to recover. She was the first to her feet and she blushed as she tried to help him stand up. "Tony, I'm sooo sorry."**

**"Angela, it's okay." He said helping her into the SUV.**

**"Thank you, Tony." She said practically jumping into the front seat. As he closed the door and ran back to his side of the car, she buried her head in her hands out of embarrassment. When he got into his seat, she turned her head toward her window, hoping against hope that she wouldn't have to face him. She started to giggle as she looked at the rain drops making their way down the window.**

**"Are you okay?" Tony said looking over at her.**

**"Yes, I am." She couldn't help herself and found herself laughing out loud. "I just can't believe I did that."**

**"Hey, neither can I." Tony said giggling a little to himself. As he fumbled for his keys, he caught a glimpse of the newly enhanced slit in her skirt. It left just a little less of her leg to his imagination than he was used to. He found himself watching a little too long when he dropped his keys. The clang against the floor board seemed to bring him back to reality and to his senses. He quickly put his key in the ignition and started the jeep. It was hard to keep his eyes on the road, but somehow he managed.**

**"I wasn't expecting to see you here." Angela said, unaware of his new awkwardness.**

**"No, ah." Tony said trying to collect his thoughts. "Mona got home a few hours ago with your car. I figured you might need a ride."**

**"Oh my mother. . . I was wondering how long it really takes to by paper clips."**

**"Hey don't be too rough on her Angela, a full day of shopping in heels can take its toll."**

**"Very funny, Tony. I had some important things I need help with today."**

**"Which is why when you see her, you're gonna pretend that you didn't even notice she was gone."**

**"What? That's the very last thing I want to do."**

**"Angela, you know your mother. If you're yelling, she's ignoring. If you ignore, you know she's gonna take notice. You know how she is about getting attention."**

**"Well, you do have a point there, Tony." She looked down and noticed the rip in her skirt's slit. At the same time, out of the corner of her eye she caught Tony looking down at it. His attention always seemed to burn a way straight to her heart and her legs always made his temperature come up a few degrees.**

**Happy for the glance, she sweetly asked. "So what's for dinner tonight?" **

"**Ahhh?" Tony trying to regain his wits.**

**There was just something about how the rain styled her hair and the rain drops left her cheeks glisten that was beginning to drive him crazy.**

**He shook his head trying to shake the tension that was now slowing building up in his chest.**

"**Ahhhh? I'm sorry Angela, no I'm fine." He lied.**

"**Is there something wrong, Tony?" Angela said with a look that meant she knew exactly what he was thinking.**

**He didn't say a word, but tried as quietly as he could to clear his throat. As the jeep pulled up to the next red light, Tony put his hand next to Angela's on the cup holder. It was all he could do, to keep from holding her hand. It was all he could do not to look at her knee poking out from under her skirt and to take her in his arms.**

**When the light changed, he didn't move his hand and he didn't say a word. The intensity of the sparks flying just millimeters apart was something he loved to experience every chance he got.**

**They had found themselves in this same position over and over again in the last few years. Sitting close enough to touch but scared enough to be satisfied by the sparks. Whether it was while they were dancing or washing dishes or taking the kids on a "family" outing. There was always some kind of spark, whether each of them had wanted to admit to it or not.**

**Tony had realized that something had changed in Angela since Frankie's proposal several years back. He didn't know exactly what and he couldn't put his finger on exactly how. But he felt as if her smile was shiner, her eyes gave off more of a sparkle when she looked at him. It was wonderful, but terrifying all at the same time. To her, he had always outwardly presented himself as her employee and friend. But over the last six years, he had found that in his mind he had gone from housekeeper to friend and father figure of her son to her best friend, as close as any of them had to a real family. On a personal level though, he refused to let himself think about her during daylight hours. He had only dared to think, really think about her when he was asleep. The minutes and hours they'd spent together while they were awake were always analyzed over and over again in his dreams. But somehow when morning came, the dreams disappeared and the armor that he'd placed around his heart returned.**

"**What am I so afraid of?" He allowed himself to think as he glanced down at her hand next to his. "Why am I so afraid? Two more millimeters and I'm there." **

**But impulsiveness with Angela didn't come with an insurance policy. He knew there was too big a risk to even entertain the thought. "Life and love are too much of a risk,." he thought as he flew through the word "Love" without even realizing he'd thought about it. Even though he had accepted the fact that he was definitely attracted to her and even had daydreamed on occasion of them getting married, allowing himself to love her, was something he wouldn't even let himself consider. **

**They had shared too much in the past few years to let their relationship be jeopardized by a few small millimeters. **

"**Hey Angela." Tony worked up the courage to say.**

"**Yes?" She squeaked out.**

**He forced himself to put his hand back up on the steering wheel, while he began talking with his left hand.**

"**If you had to pick one moment in the last six years, as your favorite one? What would it be?" He knew he shouldn't have asked it as soon as the words escaped his mouth. He knew what his real answer would be, if he was courageous enough to admit it. But the kiss on the bench in Jamaica was something he had buried in his heart for another time, another place.**

"**I don't know." She lied, as she looked over at his lips. Everyone of her favorite memories of him revolved around the eleven kisses they'd shared since he'd moved in. She though he might remember one or two, but not the dates and the number of stars she'd placed on her calendar to rate each one.**

"**I guess two times really come to mind." And honestly, she had to admit that those two moments really did change their relationship, not by millimeters, but by leaps and bounds on the friendship scale.**

"**And which two were those?" He said, as her tone sparked his curiosity.**

"**Well, the first one was when I helped you clean out your dad's apartment."**

"**Really?" Tony said, a little vague. "Why?"**

"**Well, because you let me in."**

"**Well, I had to open the door, Angela."**

"**No. That's not what I meant. I mean, you let me in your world. In your life. It was the first time I think I ever felt that we were more than 'employer - employee.'"**

"**Really Angela?" He was impressed at the sincerity in her voice. He remembered at the time feeling so embarrassed about sharing such a personal thing with her. But hearing her talk about it now, so much later, really showed him how wrong he had been to feel that way. "You know what, Angela. I really appreciate you saying that. That means a lot to me."**

"**You're welcome. And well, if you thought that one was great, my second one is the day we got your grandfather his citizenship papers. That day still gives me the chills."**

"**Why do you say that?"**

"**I don't know, I guess I was just so proud of you. And if there was ever a time I doubted in the afterlife, it was that day that changed my mind. I almost felt like your grandfather was dancing around the room."**

"**You know, I did too." He said laughing out loud. He paused for a second and said, "You know it's nice to be able to talk to you like this. It's nice to know we're friends."**

"**I think so too Tony," Angela said as they pulled up to the back of the house. "But you're not getting off that easy buddy."**

"**What do you mean?" Knowing full well what she was waiting to hear.**

**She gave him that little smile that always put him right on edged of disaster.**

"**You want to know my moment, huh?"**

"**I've told you mine, now you tell me yours."**

"**I think if I had to choose only one, Angela. . .I would have to say . . .breakfast."**

"**Which one?"**

"**Every one, that is the one moment of the day when everyone I love. . " He said with his usual Freudian slip, "care about is at home together enjoying each other's company and getting ready to start their days together. It's the one point of my day that I look forward to the most."**

**Trying to pretend that she didn't hear his slip she said, "But Tony, that's right at the beginning of the day."**

"**I know but I think that is the one moment of the day, that always confirms for me that we're family."**


	14. Chapter 14: The Fortune Cookie

**Ch 14: The Fortune Cookie**

"**Okay what does yours say Tony?" Angela asked as she handed Tony the last fortune cookie.**

**Tony always hated ordering fast food, but with finals starting in a few days, studying took priority over cooking. Tonight, he and Angela found themselves sitting together alone on the living room floor. Several boxes of Chinese food sat half eaten in front them on the coffee table. Sam was out with Bonnie and a bunch other friends. Jonathan, Tony had guessed earlier, was out at Arby's jumping on "Horsey" sauce packets. Mona had disappeared at lunch time, same as every other Friday. There was no sign of her and Angela knew there was no reason to think twice about it.**

"**Well, let's see," he said breaking the cookie in half. He flattened the paper between his fingers. "Beware of a change in an important relationship," Tony read aloud.**

"**Wow, that sounds kind of ominous." Angela said taking the slip of paper from him.**

"**Ominous or exciting? I wonder with who," he said raising his eyebrows jokingly.**

"**Come on, Tony be serious."**

"**About a fortune cookie? Come on, Angela. Have you ever really followed the advice of one of these things?"**

"**Well, I don't know." She said a little sheepishly.**

"**Come on. You have, haven't you?" He said nudging her in the ribs with his elbow.**

"**Okay, yes." She giggled with embarrassment. "Well, you would have no way of knowing this but the night before you and Samantha came to my door. Jonathan and I had take out from this same restaurant."**

"**Really?" This time he raised his eyebrows curiously. Placing his arm on the couch behind her head, he waited for her to continue. "And?"**

"**And. . . I remember the fortune distinctly. It said, 'Don't be afraid to welcome a stranger into your home.'"**

"**For Sam's sake, I'm glad you paid attention."**

"**Not for yours, Tony?" The words escaped her lips so quickly, she couldn't believe it was she who had said them.**

"**And mine." With his arm already laying on the couch behind her, he used it to pull her in close to him. With their lips millimeters apart, he whispered, "Definitely mine." Their lips met and he deeply inhaled, taking in the soft fragrance of roses that always seemed to follow her. The kiss was delicate, yet passionate and filled with all the anticipation of the unrequited love between them.**

"**Really?" Lena said, staring at the storyteller with her jaw almost to the floor.**

"**No, not really." Joseph said, snapping his fingers. "Gottcha!"**

"**Estupido!" She said smacking Joseph as hard as she could on the arm. "Why would jou go and get my hopes up like that?"**

"**I don't know. I just wanted to see if you would fall into my trap." He said wringing his hands together, with an evil grin. "And of course, as usual. . ."**

"**I don't know why you keep falling for it, Lena?" Robert said smiling at her as he moved his pawn a space to the left. He and Matty were playing a game of chess at the table next to where Joseph had been telling Lena the tall tale version of Tony and Angela's evening's activities.**

"**Jou know Lena. He does get jou every time." Matty said smiling at his wife. "It's jour own fault for not watching dem jourself.**

"**Okay, so let me guess den. She didn't say it, right?"**

"**Right. She said something like, 'Thank you, Tony.'"**

"**And instead of de kiss, she blushed and he blushed and dey each decided to call it a "night?" Am I right?"**

"**Yes, pretty much."**

"**Well, thanks for giving a me some ting tu think about. At least."**

"**Lena, don't feel bad. Joseph's just pulling your leg. Things are going slow with Angela and Tony. I think he just needs a good laugh."**

"**Sure," Joseph said winking at Nick.**

"**At my expense. Well, if jou are so bored why don't jou go down dere and do someting tu try tu bring dem tugether?"**

"**Because I don't know what else to try." Joseph said with a definite hint of genuine frustration. "I've tried everything I can think of, and I can think of a lot. Moonlit strolls in Atlantic City, baseball conventions, poetry, musical bedrooms, Jonathan playing cupid, family struggles, first dates and even passionate sleep talking. I mean, my gosh! And that's just the stuff that we've played a hand in. I haven't even begun to mention all the ploys that Mona has come up with on her own. What more do you want from me? Don't you think that I want them together as much as you do?"**

**This was a side of Joseph that none of "The Family" members had seen before and it was a shocking to say the least. His usual smile had vanished and his cheeks were now a milky white. Lena, especially, was not used to the jolly man's sudden manifestation of real pain.**

**She walked over to the white bath robed man and placed his hand in hers.**

"**Jou know putting dat fortune in Angela's cookie all dose years ago was a stroke of gene-y-us."**

"**It was, wasn't it?" Joseph said as his cheeks returned to their normal shade of red.**

"**By the way, who stuck that fortune in Tony's cookie tonight?" Robert looked around at the group and waited for someone to raise their hand. When no one answered, Joseph pulled out his handkerchief and began wiping the beads of sweat now forming on his forehead.**

**Any kind of warning, a direct warning like Tony's fortune was a red flag to Joseph. It was a sign that everyone needed to be put on alert. Some kind of storm was going to start brewing and he knew that they were heading into some dangerous territory.**

"**Okay, boys and girls," Robert said taking charge of the situation. "It looks like we are in for a difficult, if not hostile, next few weeks. I have a feeling that if we didn't plant that note, someone else did. We better buckle up everyone, 'its gonna be a bumpy ride.'**

"**What do you mean, Joseph?" Lena said with heart now racing.**

"**It means that we are going to have to keep an eye on our kiddos 24/7 and help make sure that one of them doesn't get pulled into some unchartered territory.**


	15. Chapter 15: Rewind the Clock

**Ch 15: Rewind the Clock**

**Lena sat on the edge of Angela's bed watching her sleep. She usually loved checking in on her "Bella Angela," but tonight of all nights, this was the last place she wanted to be. She was angry and frustrated and terrified all at the same time. As Angela slept soundly, Lena was grateful for the soundness of her sleep. Lena was grateful that in her dreams, Angela had no inkling of what was transpiring just a few miles down the road. No thought about the pain that would be filling her heart the next day. And the nights of sleeplessness that would soon follow.**

**Since the message in the fortune cookie, they had all been on alert wondering what the "Other Team" had up their sleeves. She knew that whatever was going to happen, there was always safety in numbers, so she cringed earlier that evening when Angela mentioned the hotel. She thought in her heart that the guys could handle Tony, the only women going with him were Debbie and Kathleen. She knew Kathleen wasn't a threat, he couldn't stand her. And Debbie didn't seem his type. So when the choice came of where to go, Lena choose to stay with Angela. She thought that if anyone was a threat to Tony and Angela's undecided relationship, it was either Jon or Peter.**

**A few hours later, once Angela was safely asleep, alone in her room, she knew she could drop the caution flag and head back up to the courtyard. She was content to sit and watch the flowers and trees for a moment, until she saw Joseph approach her, his face pale and fallen. She even thought for a moment she saw a tear begin to form, but he looked up begging it to return to its hiding place.**

**In their usual courtyard, Joseph gave her the news of her son's choice and she felt instantly, that that courtyard was the farthest place from Heaven she'd ever been. She buried her face in her hands and cried for the uncertain future that now lay ahead.**

"**Couldn't jou stop it?" Lena had begged Joseph. "Can't jou turn back time? Jou can slow it, why can't jou rewind it?"**

"**Who do think I am Lena, Superman?" Joseph said trying to be funny, but even he had his heart smothered in regret. "All I can say, is that we tried. I know that answer stinks, but it's the truth. I don't think Matty, Joseph, Nick and I have ever yelled so much, alive or dead. The moment we saw them sitting together on the bed, we knew what was about to happen. But Tony's head, was somewhere else. He was in 'ignore' mode. We tried."**

**As Lena picked up her head, she saw Kate swinging alone on a tree and once again her heart sank.**

"**But our beautiful, Kate. What is tu become of her now?"**

"**Well, let's see." Joseph said with a hint of sadness. He snapped his fingers and a large scroll appeared in his fingers. "November 4, 1993. . .Katherine ?"**

"**What do you mean Ka the-ren "Questy-on Mark?"**

"**Well, the last time I checked the list, she was listed as Katherine Marie Micelli. It looks like her birth into our family is now in question."**

"**So what are we going tu do?"**

"**Well right now, you're going to work on Angela."**

"**But she's asleep?"**

"**Perfect. This way, whatever happens she'll just think it's a dream or something. Matty and I are going to go have a few words with our boy, Tony. Hopefully, we'll have Kate back in the Micelli, Robinson, Bower mix before you can say "Spumoni."**

"**Spumoni!" Lena said sarcastically.**

"**Okay, well maybe not that fast." With a snap, he disappeared and Lena found herself seated alone again. She sat trying to figure out what she was going to say.**

**She bowed her head, "Plez help me tu say something dat will help Angela through dis, to make dis alright."**

**When she opened her eyes again, she found a familiar looking envelope in her hand. The envelope was well worn and the edges were bent and frayed. On the outside of the envelope were written the words "To My Matty"**

"**Thank you! Thank you!"**

**Now, sitting on Angela's bed running her fingers over the envelope, she thought about all the pain and love contained inside. She opened it up to take a look at the written words. As she read through the pages of stationery, she found that even though the handwriting belonged to she and Matty, the words were now in English instead of their original Italian.**

"**Good trick dare." She said looking up.**

**Lena had to look for a good, but obvious hiding place for the letter. She looked at the far wall and saw the trunk, that Tony had made for her, sitting in the corner. She knew then just what to do, but first she had to talk to Angela.**

**Chapter 16: A Little Chat is next**


	16. Chapter 16: A Little Chat

**Ch 16: A Little Chat **

**"Angela, sweetheart."**

**Angela mumbled a few words and waved the voice away with a few of her fingers.**

**"Angela, sweetheart. I need tu talk tu jou."**

"**Yes, what is it?" Angela said in her sleep. In her dreams, Angela found herself walking through a tall grassy meadow. In the distance, a small brunette woman was walking towards her. She didn't recognize the woman, yet she seemed so familiar. The woman looked like she had just escaped from the "I Love Lucy" show. As the woman neaChred, Angela recognized her face.**

"**You're Tony's mother."**

"**Jes, Bella Angela."**

"**Lena, right?"**

"**Jes. How are jou, my dear?"**

"**Incredible. I am so happy. Work is good, family is good, life is great."**

"**And Tony?"**

**That familiar smile that Lena loved to see was instantly there at the sound of his name.**

"**I see," Lena continued. "Jou have tu know how lucky I feel tu have jou in my a son's life. But may I ask a questy-on?"**

"**Yes, of course."**

**Lena placed her hand on Angela's. "Well, jour fawder and Grandfawder and I have been keeping an eye on jou for a while now-"**

"**Daddy and Grandpa Joe?"**

"**Jes, jou don't tink I'm up dare by myself, do jou?"**

**"Well of course not, I just didn't know you'd know them."**

**"Let's just say dat I know more about jour Grandpa Joe den any person needs tu. Picture you're mother as a man chasing every 'heavenly' body he can get his hands on."**

**"Yeah, that's the way I remember him, too." Angela said, smiling.**

**"We're all up there keeping an eye on jou. And wondering 'what de heck is going on!' I mean come on. Jou know jou love him girl, what is de problem?"**

**Angela, now caught between a rock and a hard place, let go of Lena's hands and looked out at the horizon. She was frantic for something to say and knew now that there was no place she could hide.**

**"You know that?" She said, a little timidly.**

**"Angela, I know lots of tings. I've been with jou and Tony for years, as have Josef and Robert and even Marie and Nick. Watching jou and sharing jour disappointments wit jou. Jou could not believe how many people had tu hold me back de day jou married Michael. If I coulda spoke dat day, oh my goodness. I would have made the toppling of de Walls of Jericho look like child's play. **

**"All of you?"**

**"Jes. Jou can't know how many times we've tried tu get tu get jou two tugether."**

**"Really?" Angela said, turning back to face Lena.**

**"Are jou kidding me? Do jou tink jou both could have created dat kind of magic on jour own?"**

**"Well it hasn't worked yet? How powerful could it be?"**

**"But Angela, I can. . .we can only help. We can't do de work for jou. Jou have tu love him enough tu tell him."**

**"But I'm afraid. . I'm afraid of what would happen if. . . "**

**"If it didn't work out? If he didn't love jou? Angela, falling in love is easy, but having de courage tu let him love jou in return. . . is de hard part."**

**"Does he love me. . .Lena?"**

**"Dat I can't tell jou. Dat is someting dat jou will need tu figure out for jourself."**

**"But it would just be so much easier if you gave me. . .a little. . .hint?"**

**"What do jou think? In jour heart, jou have to know dat he does care. Otherwise, why would he do the tings he does, say the tings he says?"**

**"But why won't he tell me? Why does it have to be so complicated?" She said turning her back to Lena once again.**

**"Because, 'if life were easy, it wouldn't be dis hard'. Love has its ups and its downs. What doesn't kill jou only makes jou stronger? I don't know what tu tell jou! All I can tink of is all the silly sayings my mother used tu tell me. But please, know dat whatever happens in de end, it will definitely be worth it."**

**"It's just getting there. . .that I'm having a hard time with."**

**"Believe me. I know."**

**Lena came up behind Angela and put her hand on her shoulder.**

**"Listen Angela. I love my son, but he's a not de most courageous man when it comes tu jou."**

**"But why, am I that intimating, that unapproachable?"**

**"Have jou not realized dat everyting in his life, revolves around jou?"**

**"Me? No, his world is Samantha."**

**"Work vith me Angela." She said in frustration. "His job, his education, his jeep, his place to live. . . He has a lot to lose if he lost you."**

**"Oh. . " Angela said with a little blindly.**

**"But dat is not the kind of "revolving" I was really tinking of. Don't jou see it in his face when jou walk into de room? Haven't jou heard it in the poetry he's written for jou? The pep talks he's given? The smiles dat jou've shared? Do jou think a guy who didn't care for jou would be sticking around after a Sambina moves out in de fall? No Angela, he wouldn't. He's a here not just because he feels he owes it tu jou or out of desperation. He's here because he cares. He cares for jou and Jonathan and Mona as if jou were his. He cares for jou even if he can't express it."**

**"But why can't he just admit it?"**

**"It wasn't dat easy for jou, remember?"**

**"Oh, my gosh." Angela took a step back and wrapped herself in her robe. "I feel so naked. Emotionally, I mean. You all saw that?"**

**"Only me. I made sure dat Joseph and Robert were out of the room."**

**"What?"**

**"Well, I got it out of jou didn't I?"**

**"You mean you're Dr..."**

**"Well only for dat session. Could have made quite de psychiatrist, couldn't I?"**

**"Okay, wait a minute. Okay, so let me pinch myself for a moment. You've been keeping an eye on me for who knows how long, and you were pretending to be Dr. Bellows so that I could admit to you that I l..l...love Tony?"**

**"Exactly. De "Big Man" knew dat I was de only one who could get it out of jou."**

**"The Big Man?"**

**"God. Heavenly Father. Alpha and Omega." Lena said pointing to the heavens.**

**"Okay?" Her head in a fog. "And you're here talking to me becauseeee..." Angela left it open ended, not being able to think of anything else to say.**

**"Sadly, I knew we'd get tu dis point in de conversations soon enough."**

**"Sadly? What do you know Lena?" Angela began to feel some anxiety rise in her chest. "Actually, come to think about it. I don't think I want to know." Angela bowed her head, like a child and put her hands over her ears.**

**"Angela," Lena said in her motherly way. She reached up and took Angela's hand off her ears and lifted her chin. "I came tu talk tu jou about forgiveness."**

**"Forgiveness? What does that have to do with me being in love with Tony?"**

**"Everyting."**

**"But Tony hasn't hurt me. He'd never hurt me."**

**Lena turned her face so that Angela couldn't see. She bit her bottom lip trying to hold back the tears she knew would show up at any second.**

**"Lena." Lena's reaction to Angela's statement almost put her in a full fledged panic attack. The sound of worry was quickly making its way into Angela's throat. "What did you come . . to tell me?"**

**With tears already streaming down, Lena turned to look at who she hoped would still be her daughter-in-law. "Tunight. . ." she found herself saying with a crack in her voice.**

**"Tunight. . . I need jou tu know dat forgiveness is important." She paused, for a second, wondering how much she should really say. "Tumorrow, jou are going tu find out someting about Tony. Someting very painful. And I want jou tu know dat it is okay tu forgive jourself."**

**"Forgive myself?"**

**"Angela, I need jou tu know dat Tony is human. He will make a mistakes. . .has made a mistakes. Tunight is no different. Sometimes, moments of stress and impulsiveness cloud our judgment. It doesn't make it right. There is no real excuse for it. But I need jou tu forgive jourself. . . and Tony."**

**"I don't understand?"**

**"Bella Angela," she said putting her hand on Angela's cheek. "The next few days will be de hardest ones jou have ever gone through in jour life. Even more painful den when jou lost Michael. I know jou. Jou are going tu blame jourself for what happened. Jou are going tu hate jourself for not speaking up. For not telling Tony, how jou feel. But I want jou tu know right now, jou will get through dis. And in de end, jour love will be so much stronger for him den jou even imagined."**

**"Lena, please. What's going to happen?"**

**"Just know Angela dat jou are never alone. I. . we will help jou through dis." **

**Angela woke up and sat up in bed. **

"**What a dream." She whispered to no one there. She shook her head and racked up the ominous feeling it left her with, to just too many helpings of double fudge brownies the night before.**

**As the dream faded and the panic subsided, she realized that her room had turned cold. She wrapped her flimsy summer quilt tightly around her, but quickly realized it wasn't enough. Cold and now wide awake, she ran over to the cedar chest and pulled out her thickest quilt. As she raise it out of the chest, she felt something fall onto her foot. Bending over to retrieve the object, she found an old faded envelope. She wrapped herself in the blanket and ran over to the side of her bed. She flipped on her table lamp to find the words, "To My Matty" written on the outside of the timeless treasure. She hesitated before opening it, but knew she'd never get back to sleep if she didn't. In the dim light of 5:30 in the morning, she read the first words of the first letter from the envelope, "To My Matty. . . "**

**Ch 17: "Long Ago and Far Away" Coming soon**


	17. Chapter 17: The Long and Winding Road

_To have it read to you try you tube, type_ **LFSE Ch 17** _in the search_.

As he put his keys into the ignition, his heart sank into his chest. Not out of sadness or guilty, but out of real confusion.

"What just happened?" He said to himself as he closed the door and buckled his seat belt. He sat there in the driver's seat clutching the steering wheel, unable to convince himself that it was now time to drive home. In his mind, the last few hours had speed passed him like a roller coaster he couldn't get off of. One minute he was saying good night to Angela and her clients, as he and his classmates left for the hotel. The next minute he was waking up in a strange room and scrambling to get his bearings.

When he woke up with her back to him, only the top of her blonde head was poking out from the covers. For a moment, he believed that the woman who had forever filled his dreams was now next to him. He took in a deep breath of her hair and quickly realized this was not _**her**_ scent, not his favorite scent. Not the scent that he'd somehow become accused to over the last six years. He had opened his eyes and realized that the blonde hair he'd seen was not the hair of the woman of his dreams. The confusion of those first few waking minutes had shocked him like never before and he had desperately looked for a reason why. He had found himself instantly wide awake.

As he started driving down the road, he thought about that moment of realization. He kept retracing the minutes in the hotel room until he'd gotten back into his jeep. The simple note he'd left on the nightstand, lying about having to leave for an early class. Rushing out, trying not to wake her.

He felt like such a coward driving down the road, back to Angela's house, home. Yet, even at that early hour, he just couldn't convince himself that walking through Angela's door was the right place to be.

"Why am I feeling like this?"

"I can think of a couple reasons." Joseph said, thinking out loud. He was sitting in the passenger seat next to Tony.

"He's not talking tu jou." Matty said with a piercing look of frustration, sitting behind Tony in the back seat.

"Well, he's looking for answers. I figure someone's got to give them to him."

"If any one is gonna shake some sense into my boy, itsa gonna be me." He flicked his finger on the back of his head. Tony's hand instantly went up to the spot that Matty had hit. In disbelief, he looked around to the backseat to make sure there was no one there.

"You know you can't hit him like that, Matty."

"I'm his father. If it a were up tu me, I'd be giving him a darn good spanking right now."

"Matty, it was his choice. You don't have to love what he did, you just have to love him."

"But what was dat back dere in Jamaica? A bunch of horse poopie?"

"He's wrestling with feelings right now that even he doesn't understand Matty. I honestly think the armor around his heart is starting to rust."

"What de?"

"Watch him, Matty. Listen to what he's thinking."

As Tony continued down the road, he decided he wasn't yet ready to face her Jaguar in the back yard, let alone _her. _Instead, he found himself driving through town trying to waste time. . .and settle his confusion.

As his moments with Kathleen flashed through his head, the vision of he and Angela on the bench in Jamaica kept overlapping it. He kept trying to make sense of it. The more he drove, the more the confusion in his heart grew.

"What about Angela?" Joseph whispered in his ear.

"What about Angela?" Tony said out loud, thinking he was speaking only to himself.

"You do have feelings for her, don't you?" Joseph asked, feeling like he could talk to him man to man.

"I don't know. She's my best friend. . .my boss. It's complicated."

"But why?"

"I guess it's the way I've made it."

"Why?"

"I don't know, maybe. . .that way I don't get hurt. That way, things are simple. I know she'll be there and I don't have to think about it."

"But don't you ever wonder what it could be like?"

"Of course, I've thought about. I'm not crazy. But most days, I don't let myself. There's too much to lose."

"But haven't you ever thought about how much you have to gain?"

"I'm not going there." Tony said shaking his head. "I'm not ready. There's too much at stake if "things" went wrong."

"But one of these days, you're gonna have to think about," Joseph told him. "Because one of these days, she might not be there anymore. You can't expect a woman like Angela to wait for you forever."

Suddenly the confusion was gone from his chest, replaced by a hard dose of guilt.

"See you do feel something for her," Tony admitted to himself. "But no, not yet. She told me she understood."

As he continued driving, he came to a fork in the road, one road was smooth and straight with no bends or potholes. The other side had a steep incline that went up a hill. That road was old and need work. Its end and direction couldn't be seen from where Tony was sitting.

As he sat waiting for the light to change, he thought how each of the roads reminded him of the two women now in his life. With Kathleen, the road would be smooth and easy, no pressure. He could take his time and coast down the road at his leisure.

The other road, with all its bends and twists fit his "relationship" with Angela to a "T." He imagined himself trying to ride a bicycle up the road while wearing a heavy hiker's back pack. He'd be in one gear one moment and in another gear the next. The weight of the baggage he was carrying, felt like it was just almost too much. He knew deep down that there might be something wonderful at the top of that hill, but for now he was too tired, too confused and too guilt ridden to try.

Tony was jarred from his daydream by the honk of a car waiting impatiently behind him. He realized the sun was now coming up and that morning was approaching. With questions buzzing in his brain and in his heart, he made a u-turn and turned right at the road that would lead him back to Angela's house.

The wild and windy night  
That the rain washed away  
Has left a pool of tears  
Crying for the day  
Why leave me standing here  
Let me know the way

--The Long and Winding Road

The Beatles

Ch 18: "Somebody Else" is coming soon


	18. Chapter 18: Somebody Else

May 24, 1949

**May 24, 1949**

**My Matty,**

**How wonderful it feels to say that after all this time, after all we've been through together and alone. I can't begin to put into words, how wonderful it felt tonight to finally be able to express what I feel for you. I don't know why it took me so long. And I really don't know why I finally did it. I guess it was knowing that you would soon be married to Sophia.**

**I have been beating myself up inside since the first time I saw you two together. Too afraid to understand what I was feeling and too afraid you'd laugh in my face if I tried. Deep down, I had to know that you cared. I'm sure I did, looking back now. Yet saying those words and feeling them are two very different things.**

**Amore mio, your mother hates me. Sophia's mother is going hate me. The whole town is going to hate me. Going to hate us. But I don't care, knowing that you love me is all that I need. It kills me to know that I almost let you get a way without even word of hope from me. Knowing now, how much seeing me everyday was killing you. But I can't blame you for agreeing to the marriage. You tried, in your humble way, everyday to show me how you felt and I was too blind to see it. I am so glad my eyes are open now.**

**With all my love eternally,**

**Lena**

**July 24, 1949**

**Amore mio,**

**How wonderful it is to know that we are together at last. You were such a beautiful bride this morning. As I sit here in our small apartment. I can still see you through the open door as you sleep. **

**You look so at peace, compared to that day two months ago when you finally told me how you felt. I remember when you said that you needed to speak to me that night, I thought that something terrible had happened. But instead you pulled me aside and gave me the watch. I don't ever think I've been so happy in all my life. . until today.**

**You've told me that you felt so guilty for not speaking up, my love you are not the only one. Many times I could have said something, but I am the one who should have had more faith. Faith to know that we could find our way to love together. If I haven't said it before, thank you for your love and thank you for having the courage to let me love you in return.**

**And before I forget, please help me to remember to tell any children we have in the future, that arranged marriages are much easier to get into then get out of.**

**All my love,**

**Your Matty**

**July 31, 1952**

**To My Son and His Future Wife,**

**I know that this letter might seem a little premature to be writing, my sweet Anthony, but nevertheless, I am your mother and I am going to speak my mind.**

**Your father and I have just celebrated our third anniversary and the birth of our first child, you. I'm sure that I will remember this better than your father will, so I'd like to share with you the story of how your father and I fell in love. At this moment you are lying on the floor in front of me making faces, which either means you need a diaper change or you don't want to hear mushy stories. Regardless of which it is, I'm going torture you with my mushy story anyway.**

**You're father and I grew up in the same small town of Palermo. When I turned ten, his family lived next door to us and I loved to pick on him, because at that age he was a lot shorter than me. He was always very quiet. Yet never said a mean word to me, no matter how hard I tried to make him mad. He worked doing odd jobs for my father every once in a while to earn some extra money. So, I had always thought that that was the reason he was always hanging around my house. **

**One day when I was sixteen, I was walking home from the market. I was carrying a few too many bags and tripped and fell. I sprained my ankle and with all my packages, I had no idea how I was going to get home. Thankfully, your father was following me home, as he did every time I went into town. He dropped off my packages at a friend's house and carried me home. Then he walked back into town to pick up my packages and bring them back to me. Two miles each way.**

**You would think that the light bulb would have gone off in my head. That I would have realized that he liked me, but instead I was embarrassed. Embarrassed because I had fallen and embarrassed that so many people saw him carrying me. I didn't speak to him for months afterwards.**

**Despite my rudeness, he was still the loving and generous man that he always was. He had feelings for me whether he could admit them or not. And unfortunately, I probably wouldn't have listened to him if he had.**

**When I turned eighteen, I was standing outside of the meat market when I saw Matty walking arm in arm with Sophia. She was a pretty girl but not at all the girl I had imagined him with. As I stood there watching them together, I realized how funny it was that I knew what his type was. That I had even taken a second to think about what type of girl that he'd like. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that his type was me. In that instant I could see myself standing in her place, wondering what it would be like standing arm in arm with him. A flash of shock went through me, I couldn't believe that that thought had even entered my brain. What was I thinking? This was Matty, the guy that lived next to me, did things for me, watched out for me. All the while I was trying to push him out of my head and all the while more memories of his kindness and charity kept coming to the surface. He had cared for me for all these years, silently, and I had been too deaf, and too blind and too dumb to see it.**

**I found out that he had agreed to an arranged marriage with Sophia and that he was to be wed in three weeks. As the wedding day approached, I found myself crying without even understanding why. I knew he loved me now, but did I feel the same? A few days before the wedding, I couldn't sleep. I kept tossing and turning in bed, thoughts of him keeping me up. It was then I realized how lonely my life would be without him. It was then, staring at the stars that were just outside my window, that I realized I loved him. I grabbed the only thing that I had of any value. It was the pocket watch that my grandfather had left me when he passed away. I tried to work up a plan to talk to Matty, but my nerves were almost too much.**

**I left my house and crossed the courtyard that separated our two families' homes. Still in my robe and pajamas, I reached down and grabbed some pebbles and began tossing them at Matty's window. When he looked out of the pane of glass, I motioned for him to come outside. He must have thought that something was horribly wrong, because he was down a flight of stairs and out the door in less than a minute. Once he was standing in front of me, I froze. In his typical silence, he pointed over to a bench that overlooked the fountain in middle of the courtyard. I don't know how long we sat there, but he could tell I was nervous. When he finally asked if everything was okay, the only word I could say was "No." Right there and then my eyes filled up with tears again just as they had for the previous two weeks. **

"**Everything is not okay." I managed to squeak out. "I have to tell you. . .I realize now that it's time I said I love you. I pulled out the pocket watch and handed it to him. He bit down on his lip and then reached over and kissed mine. We sat there immersed in the passion and starlight that was now shining down from the sky. Then he told me that our love was written in the stars.**

**And the rest they say is, history.**

**Now, you're father's version is very different mine. But nonetheless, we are in the middle of our happily ever after.**

**Now you are probably wondering why this letter was addressed to you, Anthony and your future wife. All I can say is, I know you Micelli men and I know that having the courage to tell the woman you love is not the easiest thing to do. **

**And to my sweet future daughter-in-law, if something happens between you, have the patience to love my son despite the fact that your heart might be breaking. He will smarten up eventually. He does love you, no matter what he doesn't have the courage to say.**

**With all my love to you both,**

**Your Mother**

**Angela put down the letters and sat thinking about the words on the pages. It was the second time that afternoon she'd read the letters all the way through. The night before, she'd read through the first two letters and simply assumed they were just love letters between Tony's mother and father. It took her words with Tony in the kitchen to make her go back and actually absorb them. . .and to have the courage to read the third one.**

**Angela put the stationery down and stared off into space.**

**Her heart was aching in her chest and yet she somehow knew, somehow had to believe that she'd get through this. The pain was still there and it was steady. Her head was in a fog and she wondered how much more time she could spare herself. How long could she wait? She wanted to scream to him, to tell him she loved him, but she knew that telling him right now would only confuse him more. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him how hurt and angry she was at him for the pain she was now feeling. He had asked for time on the bench in Jamaica. Time to figure out his path. She wondered if it was time now to try to find hers.**

**Tony's mother's words from the letters and the dream kept bouncing around her thoughts. . ."**_**he does love you, no matter what he doesn't have the courage to say**_**." "**_**Jou are going to hate jourself for not speaking up. For not telling Tony, how jou feel. But I want jou to know right now, jou will get through dis. And in the end, jour love will be so much stronger for him den jou even imagined..**_**" **

**As she played with the thoughts racing in her mind, she found a peace sweeping over her. She knew someday he would be ready to hear what she felt, but that someday was not today.**

**She lifted her head as she heard a knock at the Study's door.**

"**Come in."**

**The one I love belongs to somebody else  
He means his tender songs for somebody else  
And even when I have my arms around him  
I know his thoughts are strong for somebody else  
The hands I held belong to somebody else  
I'll bet they're not so cold to somebody else  
It's tough to be alone on the shelf  
It's worse to fall in love by yourself  
The one I love belongs to somebody else  
The one I love belongs to somebody else **

**-Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey **

**The One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else)**


	19. Ch 19: Into the Night, Into the Light

Lena sat watching Angela sleep just as she had the last several months

Lena sat watching Angela sleep just as she had the last several months. She was so proud of the way Angela had handled herself. Lena had cried along with her the first few nights after her discussion with Tony in the study, but after that Angela seemed to be handling things better than Lena was. She had hoped that the dream and the letters had something to do with it, but she knew that deep down Angela had more faith in Tony than she did.

It didn't take long for "The Family" to realize that things between Kathleen and Tony weren't going to last. As much as he seemed to enjoy spending time with her, they noticed he'd developed a new hobby. If spying on your boss was an Olympic sport, Tony would have earned a gold medal. With each new suitor that arrived at their front door, Tony's degree of interest in them was more than noticeable, especially to Kathleen.

Tony had to admit that fateful evening in the Study that when he had decided to date Kathleen, he'd released Angela from her unspoken Jamaican promise. That night on the bench he had asked for time to figure out _his_ path. She had graciously given it to him. That evening in the Study, he'd released her to pursue _hers_. With men like Peter, Christopher and now Andy on her arm, this new freedom terrified him.

Lena knew Angela wouldn't take things too far, but she still worried about the new road block on the couple's way to back to each other. Lena thought Angela's new boyfriend, Andy, was nice. She had no problem with him, except the fact that he was dating Angela and not someone else. Andy was her equal. He was smart and wealthy, a real yuppie. He was just the kind of man anyone would picture for her, if it weren't for the fact that the smooth, easy road with Andy was not what Angela really needed.

With Angela now asleep, Lena retired to the courtyard to meet up with the others. They were there to start their bazillionth brainstorming session. Nightly, the guardians made their way back to the courtyard after each of their charges fell asleep.

Since the fateful night, Matty was doing most of the watching over Tony and Lena instinctively fell right into the role of watching over Angela. It was always hard to factor Robert into the group because of Mona's social calendar, but with tonight only being Tuesday, it was easier than most.

"Any new ideas?" Lena said taking charge of tonight's meeting.

Matty, Robert and Joseph turned their heads in every direction, but Lena's. She even thought she heard one of them whistling for a moment.

"Come on guys. Dis isa not a funny. We have tu tink of someting."

"But we've been through this thing time and time again Lena." Joseph said with a smirk.

"I know we a have, but dere's gotta tu be someting dat we haven't thought of a before."

"Like what?" Robert said with a hint of curiosity.

"I don't know, either." Lena said trying to think of something new. She looked around the group and noticed something was different. "Where are Kate and a Marie?"

Almost under his breath, Joseph said, "Marie went to go get Kate again.."

"Again? Where'd she go?" Robert asked.

"Down to Earth. She went to go check on a friend."

"What?" Lena began to look a little distraught. "But dis is important. I need dem here."

Joseph turned to face her, "Well, Lena in case you haven't noticed, Kate's been feeling pretty lonely lately. Marie thought she might need to talk."

"Talk about what?"

"You've been so caught up in this whole "Tony and Angela Thing" to see what's been right in front of you."

"See what?" She questioned. Looking into the boys faces, she tried to find some reason for their continued secrecy.

"Dat she misses him." Matty finally said under fear of his wife's wrath.

"Misses who?" Lena said in real confusion.

"Her little brown haired friend? Haven't you noticed he's been gone for the last several Earth years?"

"Well, jes." She lied, not wanting to seem oblivious to the situation. "Where did he go?"

"He ended up in Brooklyn. And she's worried about him." Robert said with concern. "He's had a hard life already. He's living with his grandmother and now she's not doing so well. He's worried about her."

"Oh. . .I'm a sorry." She said taking in the gravity of the situation the young boy was facing. "I had a no idea. Why didn't jou all tell me?"

"Because, Mia Bella Lena," Matty said taking his wife's hand in his, "Jou have a had enough tu worry about." Lena looked into her husband's understanding face and started to say something when she heard someone behind her calling her name.

"Grandma! Grandma!" Kate yelled running towards her.

"Lena!" Marie ran up to the group and stopped a few steps in front of them to catch her breath. "You'll never guess what we heard."

"What?"

Matty brought over a couple more chairs and Kate and Marie each took a seat at the table.

Kate began her story with a huge smile on her face. "Marie caught me hanging out with Billy at Carmella's and then--"

"Billy?"

"Yes, the brown haired boy. The one we were just talking about," Joseph said.

"Oh. All-right. Well, go on."

"Okay, so I was playing with Billy and I overheard Carmella talking to Dad on the phone. She was asking him if there was any way he could baby sit Billy next week." Kate said excitedly.

"Jou mean, Billy is staying with our Carmella, and she's a having my Tony babysit jour little boyfriend next week?"

"Yes, that's exactly what she's saying," Marie said.

"Okay, but I don't really understand why dis is such a big deal. So dey all know each other."

"Billy told me that his grandmother isn't doing so hot and she was talking to Carmella about seeing if she could help take care of him." Kate said with excitement.

"And?"

"And?" Kate said, as if their course of action shouldn't be obvious. "Well, what if we convince them to have Dad and Mom help take care of him instead? With a kid around, that could interfere--"

"Interfere with a Andy!" Lena said as if the idea was all her own.

"Yes, Lena." Marie smiled, happy to see that she'd finally seen the big picture.

"And maybe with a little help from De Big Man, things vill finally come back around for dem."

"My gosh, Lena. If we were on a TV show, people would think we were 'jumping the shark.'" Joseph said with a laugh. He quickly notice the look of confusion coming from the group's faces. "Never mind. It would take _way_ to long to explain."

As the group began making plans, Robert noticed the broad grin still on his granddaughter's face.

"Hey, Kate." He whispered in her ear. "I do have one question for you."

"Sure Grandpa? What is it?" She whispered back.

"You said Billy was talking to you?"

"Of course."

"But the 'Veil of Forgetting' should have been in place by now. He's got to be four year old, right?"

"Yes, but Grandpa you don't honestly, think he'd forget his soul mate, do you?"

A few days later, Tony fell prey to one of the "Family's" more obvious hints. Mona had joked with him about things moving quicker with Kathleen than he had planned and Lena scooped up the opportunity**. **

**"Furniture shopping at 2. Wedding at 6. House hunting at 8. Baby at 11." **Mona said teasing him on her way of the kitchen.

The Special Effects Department in Heaven instantly put together a vision of Angela weaving her way in and out of his possible future with Kathleen. In those brief minutes, Tony found himself thinking about Angela in a way he'd never expected to. It was the first daydream he'd had where he had not seen them as a couple and in a way, it really scared him. Ultimately, though, it helped him see that no matter what, Angela would always play a part in his life. But he didn't like what the other option seemed to becoming.

A few hours later, Joseph started a conga line in Heaven when Tony and Kathleen finally decided to part ways. He knew it was a little premature, but as usual, he was always up for a party. Lena sat back with Matty on a bench and watched the merry procession. Robert even let his guard down for a few minutes to hold on to a few waistlines.

As Lena sat on the bench, she realized that she was smiling again. She touched her own cheek and thought about how good it felt smile again after all the crying of the last few months. Their sweet children had overcome so much in the last six years and she was grateful that at least on some level, their plan was working out.

With Kathleen out of the picture, Tony had hoped that Angela would come running back into his arms or at least back beside him for a movie and popcorn. He had quickly realized that Angela had become a little more fond of the yuppie than he'd hoped. To Tony's delight, though, once Billy became a permanent fixture in the house, Andy was no problem. With all of the changes that came with having a new little boy in the house, time with Andy became more and more interrupted. Eventually, Kate's plan worked when Angela used Billy as an excuse to put things "on hold" with Andy. When all was said and done, she was actually relieved to have done it.

Without Andy or Kathleen in the picture, life in the Bower/Micelli household seemed almost to be returning to normal. Almost. Something was different between them now. As a family, they were closer than ever, but yet under the surface something seemed to scare them more than ever, as a couple. It was almost as if they knew deep down that things couldn't stay this way too much longer, they had to move forward or lose what they had forever.

Lena tried to be hopeful, but after looking at the infamous list for November 4, 1993, Kate was still only listed as Katherine. Lena, as well as the others, knew they were not completely out of the woods yet. She wondered what else they could possibly do to get these two together. It was already 1990. With a pregnancy, Lena figured they really only had two years and about three months left. How much longer was this going to take?

"Well, at a least he's a trying." Matty said as he and Lena watched Tony scolding everyone for grabbing the mail out of the mailbox one November afternoon.

"But jou know dis is never going tu work Matty." Lena said as the mail was returned to the mailbox for the third time. "Jou know he's going tu mess dis up somehow."

As Sam announced Angela's arrival home, Tony made everyone leave the Living room and he ran through the swinging door. As he entered the kitchen, he proudly explained his "clever" plan to Ernie the Waterman who was making a delivery. He described his plan to have Angela retrieve the mail, see the flyer announcing the last dance of the Starlight Ballroom and casually ask her to go with him. Unknown to Tony, Angela had brought home her client, Tom. And as Lena predicted, within a few minutes Tony's plan was down the toilet when Tom noticed the flyer and asked Angela to go to the dance before Tony even got a chance.

"Justa when I thot he was a making some a progress and dat maybe dis date could really lead some a where--" Matty said shaking his head.

"But who says dat it can't, Matty." Lena said trying to make light of a new difficult situation. "Who says we can't "help" a move tings along. . dat we can't interfere?"

"_**He**_ does." Matty said pointing to the ceiling as he had so many times before. "_**He**_ does, dat's a who."

"Well, are jou going tu tell him?"

"But Bella Lena, de Big Man hasn't given us a job tu interrupt with a Saturday night."

"Well, we are a supposed tu be in de building dat night, right?"

"Well, jes?" Matty said with a look of fear.

"Well, what if jou and I were just in a different "area"?

Nervously, he tried to reason with his wife. "But why don't jou get Josef tu help jou with dis?"

"Josef? If my plan works, I'd a have tu dance vith a him and I don't trust him in dat depart-a-ment and I'm a sure neither do jou. And be-a-sides, everybody would expect someting like a dis from him. If jou and I go off tu try tu fix a dis, no one will suspect anyting."

"I don't a know Lena."

"Jou are sush a big a chicken."

"Only for jou Bella Lena, jou are going tu get me intu so much a trouble." Matty said with smile.

Now -  
The mist across the window hides the lines  
But nothing hides the colour of the lights that shine  
Electricity so fine  
Look and dry your eyes

We -  
So tired of all the darkness in our lives  
With no more angry words to say...

Into the night, into the light  
--Stepping Out, Joe Jackson

Ch 20: It Had to Be Them is next


	20. Chapter 20: It Had to Be Them

Chapter 20- It Had to be Them

"What are we doing here, Lena?" Matty said trying to adjust Nick's tie. It as the first time he had "borrowed" someone for a moment and it definitely took some getting used to.

"We're here to distract them." She said straightening the mess Matty had made. "You never did like wearing a tie did you, My Matty." She finished pressing down Nick's jacket and then looked down at Jenny's red dress. She had never worn anything so fancy and felt a little self-conscious in it. "I don't want another late night mistake to happen again under my watch."

"But aren't you afraid we're going to get caught?" He said putting his finger in his collar.

"No, I'm not. The Big Man will understand." She said swatting his hand. "He's just got to. Now, do you remember the story?"

"How could I not? That woman bored me with it every time she came over for dinner."

"Now Matty, you know she was my friend." Lena said, speaking of when Jenny and Nick lived a couple doors down from them.

"Well, I'm going to spice up the story a little tonight. The way she told it, it's a wonder they ever got together." Matty put his hands up in front of him, dainty like and began imitating Jenny's voice. "'He kissed me on the cheek and then I knew.' I'm going to mix a little of us into it."

"You make it sound like our story was pretty steamy."

"Okay, well I'm going to tell their story the way it should have been. We want to keep Tony and Angela occupied, don't we?"

"Okay, but not too much, alright?" She warned. "By the way, what happened to them anyway?"

"I think they had five kids. They outgrew the apartment soon after you..."

"Oh."

"Anyway, her father got Nick a job and he ended up being one of the hotshots in the company."

"Really. . .how great for them." She said a little lost in thought.

"Hello?" He said snapping his fingers. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, of course. Oh, look there's Angela." Lena watched the ballroom's door opening.

Matty turned his head to see Angela walking into the foyer with her date. Lena started to follow them, but within a few steps Matty was able to grab her arm.

"What are you doing?" He said pulling her back into the entry way of the Starlight.

"I'm keeping an eye on her."

"Well, we can see them from here, just chill out."

"Chill out? You've been talking to Joseph a bit to long. Where's Tony? He's coming, right?" Her eyes glanced back and forth between the parking lot out the window to her right and the dance floor to her left.

"Yes, Mi Amore."

"Matty, you can't call me that. You know that's not what Nick would say."

"Lena, calm down. I remember Nick well enough. It'll work out. Will you just trust me?"

"Yes. . .okay."

"Take a deep breath and say, 'This is only our son's future we're talking about."

"This is. ." She stopped and gave him her famous look of annoyance and then turned to look out the window. "Who's he with Matty?" Lena said as she watched Tony approach with the supermarket cashier.

"That's Lizzy. Believe me, she's no one to be worried about."

"That's what you said about Kathleen."

"Oh, don't start with that again."

Lena and Matty watched as Tony and Lizzy joined Angela and Tom at the table.

"Don't worry, I won't. I'll be nice. Okay, look I think it's safe to go over there."

Matty looked over at the group and nodded to Lena.

"**He's funny that way.**" Angela said referring to Lizzy's comment about how it had taken Tony five years to ask her out.

Matty, in Nick's tall lean body, guided Lena, as Jenny, over to the table where the foursome was sitting.

"**Excuse me.**" Matty, in Nick's smooth voice, said motioning to Tony. **"Do you mind if we sit here?"**

**"Sure, pull up a chair." **Tony said a little sarcastically**.**

**"He means," **Lena said pointing to the seats that Tony and Angela were sitting in. ** "Can we sit here?"**

Nick and Jenny's own memories from that evening began to rush to imposters' own consciousness and Matty heard himself telling the couple's story as he had heard it himself so many times before.

"**When we met 46 years ago, we were sitting there," **Matty said.

"**And tonight's our last chance to relive that moment before they close the ballroom forever."**

Within minutes, Lena's plan had worked and Tony and Angela were complete distracted and drawn into the story. Under the table, Lena grabbed Matty's hand when Tom escorted Lizzy away for a dance. She knew at that moment that "all was right with the world."

Lena and Matty continued Nick and Jenny's story, although with a little more spark. Instead of just a kiss on the cheek on the dance floor, Matty spiced up the story with a whole part of them making out in the car. Lena kept nudging him to keep the story a little more innocent, but Matty was having too much fun. He figured it was payback for all Jenny's hours of boredom she'd caused him through the years. Finally, when they'd come to the end, they left Tony and Angela alone at the table. Lena knew they'd need time to digest the story and have sometime to talk alone. Within moments, Angela and Tony were dancing together with the biggest smiles on their faces.

"Mission accomplished." Lena said as she and Matty continued to dance.

Matty watched them over the sea of heads and was happy in that moment that Nick was so tall. "_Please don't louse this up Tony_," he thought to himself as he watched them spin around the floor.

"Matty! Lena! You've got so 'esplaining to do!" Joseph yelled across the dance floor. In shock, Lena and Matty "popped" out of Nick and Jenny. The real Nick and Jenny looked at each other a little dazed for a second and then went right on dancing as if they hadn't skipped a beat.

As Matty and Lena's discussion with Tony and Angela became fused as part of their own memories, the real Jenny turned to the real Nick. "Why did you tell such a tall tale to that couple?" She asked.

"They looked like they could use a hint." Was Nick's simple answer.

Lena and Matty hesitantly made their way over to Joseph with the look of two kids with their hands caught in the cookie jar.

"What the heck was that?" Joseph adjusted the elastic waistband on his pajama bottoms and puffed up his chest like a cobra ready to strike.

"Well, ah--"

"That was perfect!" Joseph yelled. "How did you guys come up with that?"

Shocked that they weren't getting screamed at, Matty's jaw dropped and Lena just stood like a deer in the headlights.

"That was perfect. Look at them! Tony and Angela look so happy. And you actually got them to talk. Oh my gosh that hasn't happened in months!" He put his arms around the shoulders of the two imposters and almost lifted them up off the floor. "That was genius. I don't know why I didn't think about that myself."

"Oh well… it was a Lena's idea." Matty said finally recovering from the expected terror.

"So jour not mad?" Lena said in confusion.

"Mad? Are you kidding? How could I be? It's not like you jumped into their bodies and got them married. You just got them thinking and that was wonderful!"

Joseph picked Lena up and tried to imitate Tony's famous quick spin, but ended up looking a lot more like Tiny.

Once Lena caught her breath from the fear of her soul being crushed, she turned to Joseph in unexpected excitement. "So where do we go from here?"

"Don't worry, Marie's got the next move already in the works."


	21. Chapter 21: Lead Me Back

Chapter 21: "Lead Me Back"

Chapter 21: "Lead Me Back"

Finally resting his head on his pillow, Tony leaned over to set his alarm clock.

3:30AM flashed in bright red numbers.

"Man, I've got to get to sleep," he said plumping his pillow. The images of the night kept pushing out his efforts to count sheep and he found himself savoring every one.

After the story from the older couple they'd met, Tony found himself with a new confidence. Although he was terrified of what his imagination was leading him to, he was getting a little excited about the terror. Dancing with Angela, holding her close as he had wanted to for so many months. It felt now, as if they hadn't ever been apart. In his excitement about the evening, he thought about the one thing that happened that satisfied him above all else.

It hadn't been the conversation about how slow their relationship was going. It wasn't even the funny tango they did at the end of the night when Tony popped "Save the Last Dance for Me" by Ben E. King and the Drifters into the CD player. It was rather the quiet moment at their bedroom doors after all the lights were out and everyone else was fast asleep.

They had said their good nights and were turning the knobs of their door handles when Tony found himself uttering her name.

"Angela?" He'd said it and couldn't believe he had. He had something he'd wanted to say since they'd come home, but hadn't had the courage to. Something he'd had on his mind for the last seven months. The fact that he'd actually said her name told him that if he didn't say it soon, he'd probably explode at any minute.

"Yes, Tony?" She said looking as though she were grateful for another chance at sleep's distraction.

He found his feet moving over to her door and made himself stop within a foot of her.

"I just wanted to say that I had a great time tonight." Trying to stall once again. _What am I doing?_, he had thought to himself. _This evening is going so perfectly. I'm just going to kill the mood._

"I'm glad Tony." She said with a continued smile. "I did, too."

Even in his fear, he found himself, for once, being able to look into her eyes and say exactly what he was thinking at the exact moment he wanted to say it.

"I'm sorry, Angela."

At first, she had looked at him with some confusion, but he quickly realized that she understood.

"I'm so so--"

But before he could even finish the sentence, she closed the distance between them and placed her lips on his. The kiss spoke the volumes that his words never could have and in it he found what he had desired most and never thought he'd be worthy to have again with her. Forgiveness.

As he rolled in his bed, that kiss played over and over again. And he found himself counting kisses instead of sheep. Within minutes he was asleep.

"Whattcha thinking Tony?" Marie said to her husband as she sat in the passenger seat of their blue van.

He looked over and smiled at his wife, just as he had in so many previous dreams before. Tony found himself driving down the streets of Fairfield, just as he had driven alone, awake, for the last seven years. "I don't know sweetheart. I guess I've got a lot on my mind."

"Like what?" Marie said turning in her seat to face him.

"Things." He said looking in the rear view mirror.

"Tony, be honest. You're confused and this confusion is nothing new. It's just now you're actually having to face it."

"I know." He said gripping the steering wheel, purposely trying not to make eye contact.

"It was easy to ignore with Kathleen and Andy around."

"Yes."

"And now?"

"And now, it's nice. Angela and I are right back to where we were before."

"You call that a good thing?"

"Well. . .I guess so."

"Come on Tony, just cause you aren't dating anybody else doesn't mean you're together. You've got to do something, show her some encouragement. Show her you care."

"I do, everyday."

"But the same way you used to show me?"

"But Marie, it was easy to show you I cared. You were. . .are my wife."

"But not in the beginning."

"But in the beginning, I knew I loved you."

"And you didn't know that with Angela?"

"See we're right back to the "things." See, you're doing that again. You're trying to get me to admit. . . Alright, I know that I care for her. I know I like her. I know . . .I know a lot 'things.'" He said in a bad attempt to change the subject.

"But Tony, deep down you know you love her."

"Well. . .even if I did, why does is it have to be so hard?"

"Because you _**do**_ love her. Love that lasts is never as easy as it should be."

"But it was with you."

"That's because HE knew we were going to have to love a lifetime's worth in just six brief years."

"And we did, didn't we?" In the dream, he found himself parking the van on the side of the road. He reached over and took her hand in his. Raising her hand to his lips, he kissed the back of her hand.

"I know what you're thinking, Tony." She said putting her hand on his cheek.

"What. . .what's that?" He said turning back toward the steering wheel.

"I'm okay. I really do like her, Tony. She's given you opportunities that I never could have. She's helped you become the man that you are."

"But Marie --" He said turning his head.

She placed her fingers on his lips. Slowly and with all the love in her heart she said, "Tony, I need you to listen to me and I need you to remember this. I can't be happy in Heaven, if you aren't happy here. My happiness depends on you. I need you to let yourself be happy."

He looked into her eyes and knew they weren't just empty words.

He turned to look out the window in front of them. Just outside it, he found the same forked road that he found himself in front of that painful morning so many months ago. Yet, this time the fork represented two entirely different things. The smooth road was now the road he was currently on with Angela, no potholes, no heartache and yet, no excitement, no passion. It was just the "same old, same old." The road that lead up the hill was still bumpy, still harder to climb, but with all its twists and turns he could finally see Angela's roof top just peeking over it, just within Tony's view from the stoplight below.

"So, Tony." Marie said smiling at her husband. "What's it gonna be?"

Many times I've been alone  
And many times I've cried  
Any way you'll never know  
The many ways I've tried  
But still they lead me back  
To the long winding road. . .  
Lead me to your door

The Long and Winding Road --The Beatles


	22. Chapter 22: Robert and Mona

Chapter 22: Robert and Mona

Chapter 22: Robert and Mona

From her desk, Mona had a clear vantage point of Angela sitting at hers. It wasn't as if she'd never looked in on her daughter before, it was just that things seemed different now. She seemed happy, but not completely. Mona couldn't pinpoint what was causing her daughter to be daydreaming so much lately, but she knew she enjoyed seeing the smile this spring brought to her face, over the tears of last. Mona watched as Angela sat tapping her pencil on her mug. There was something different going on, even the kids had noticed. But what was it?

"Oh Robert," Mona said to her absent husband just as she had so many times before. She got up from her chair and closed Angela's door. A few goose bumps raised up on her arm when Robert came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. Almost with a sixth sense, she put her arm up on her shoulder where she imagined his would be.

She walked back over to her office chair. "What's she thinking?" She said as if waiting for him to answer. Since his visit with her back in the hospital when she had her gallbladder removed the year before, the veil between she and Robert had become pretty thin.

"She's thinking about the kiss they shared in South Carolina." As his voice came into her mind, she began picturing him sitting at the chair in front of her desk. In her mind, he was as real as he was that day in the hospital. "But I think more than anything else, she's enjoying the moment. Sam's now in college, Jonathan's halfway through high school, Billy's finally adjusting to the new environment, you're growing up--"

"Funny."

". . and well, she and Tony are. . ."

"Still she and Tony." She said disappointedly.

"I think that she's enjoying the idea of all of you feeling like a family. In Billy, she's got the son she always imagined she and Tony would have together. Everyone seems to have come together supporting each other. And yet, even though they've kind of stalled out since the night at the ballroom, the idea of family has brought her more comfort in her nights alone than almost anything else.

"I figured that was it, but I can tell it's not enough for her. Robert, I want her to be happy. Really happy."

"I know Mona." He said kissing her hand. "So my love, do you have any ideas?"

"Me? What can I do?"

"Talk to her."

"But she never wants to talk about Tony with me."

"I think she's a little nervous because she thinks that the more she shares her feelings out loud, the more real they become. She's too afraid of getting hurt."

"I think she should be more afraid of another Kathleen."

"Well, that's why you need to talk to her. You need to make her understand that."

"But she won't. She always seems to put up a wall."

"Did you ever talk to your mom?"

"No, but I'm not my mother."

"But maybe to Angela you are. Maybe she's intimated by you, your experience. . . which I am never too fond of." He said giving her a jealous look. "Your boldness." He started walking around the room. "But at the same time maybe that's exactly what she needs. I think one of these days, you're just going to have to tell it like it is. Make her see that she'd going to lose him if she doesn't say something."

"Well, I don't know when. She should be getting ready for the trip. We're leaving for Washington, D.C. in a few hours."

"I know Sweetheart, but I want you to watch for a time you can talk to her. I think you're chance will be coming sooner than you think.

"I will." She said looking at the clock on her desk. "It's time for my lunch break. Would you like to join me while I eat?"

"Sure," he said looking up at the clock. "But Mona, it's only ten-thirty."

"I've got some last minute shopping to do." She got up from her seat and opened Angela's door. "I'm leaving for lunch."

"Sure, Mother." Angela said still in a daze not paying attention to anything, but the memory of the strong arms holding her in the tight embrace and perfect kiss of two months before.

True to his word, Robert's prediction of a time for boldness came rather quickly. Once Tony had finished his speech on the Medicare cut-backs in Washington, DC, he found himself being paraded around by Kristine, a Congressman's aide. She seemed to take a special fancy to Tony and did everything she could to distract him from the real reason he was there, to help the senior citizens and to spend time with the family.

Robert and Mona weren't the only ones who noticed. Angela decided to drown her emptiness in a cart full of room service goodies instead of doing what Mona thought should be the obvious, taking control of the situation and fighting for her man.

As Mona and Sam were about to leave for a night on the town, they budded up and confronted their girl in the art of communication with men.

"**Angela, if you don't want to lose Tony, you better do something."** Mona said trying to get her to think about what was happening right in front of her.

"**Oh please,**" Angela said in a hasty attempt to stand her ground. "**This isn't the first time that a pretty girl has flirted with him and he always comes back.**"

"**And what are you going to do if one day he doesn't come back?**" Mona said, striking a cord in Angela's heart.

Angela turned to face the door, not wanting her mother or Sam to see the anxiety in her eyes.

"**Angela? When was the last time you told Tony how you feel about him?**"

"**I don't have to tell him. He knows.**"

"**Wrong. You do have to tell him, and then you have to show him, and after that, you have to tell him what you just showed him. Come on, let's face it, dear. Men are stupid.**"

As "The Family" watched the scene unfolding before them, Joseph nudged Matty in the ribs.

"Tell me! Did she really just say that?" Joseph yelled from the corner of the room.

"Jes, Mona said it! And look at Angela, the gears are turning." Matty said patting Robert on the back. "That was fabulous!"

"Don't look at me. It was all Mona." Robert said in his humble way.

"So what are you going to do, Angela?" Mona said turning to her daughter.

Angela stood there for a moment wondering what she would do, but some how with the seven family members in the room with she, Mona and Sam, she felt a confidence building in her she hadn't felt before. She felt their love.

Without a word, she ran into the her room with Sam and Mona following close behind.

"What are you doing?" Mona said as Angela shuffled through the few outfits she had in the closet.

"I'm going after Tony."

"Wahoo!" Sam and Mona yelled.

"Can we come too?" Mona said excitedly.

"No. I think I need to talk to Tony by myself." She turned to the two cheerleaders. "Thank you, Mother. Thank you, Sam." Embracing them both with a new fervor.

Within half an hour, she was standing in front of the doorway of the make-up room. She took in a deep breath and mentally stumbled through the speech she'd prepared during the cab ride over. As she finally crossed the threshold, the speech vanished, but her new found courage remained. She didn't know what she was going to say now, but she sure knew what she had to do. She forced herself to take a step and with some help from Marie and Lena, said a simple "Hi."

She listened to Tony's speech about giving into Washington's temptations and how he was still going to fight to help the senior citizens. It would have been easy for their conversation to go on as normal, but she knew it was now or never.

"**You know how I feel about you, don't you?**" She found the words escaping her lips as if they were an everyday occurrence. She let them flow and found herself smiling with every breath.

"**Oh, yeah. Yeah, sure. How you feel. Yeah, sure. How do you feel?**" His curiosity getting the better of him.

"**Well, I like you.**" The largest grin since the bench in Jamaica came to her face and she felt as if she'd been so silly for not making this simple statement earlier.

"**Well, that's good Angela, because cause I like you too**." He said, almost with an air of relief.

"**Oh good."** She said almost as calmly as a sigh.** "I just figured I hadn't told you in a while.**"

"**Oh, okay good.**" He returned the smile, but slowly realized that she was nearing him. He felt her hand grasp his left arm and her lips make contact with his. He wanted so much to close his eyes, but was so shocked by her gesture that he kept them open, afraid she'd disappear.

As she pulled a way, he watched her eyes fall to the ground and looked at her almost in disbelief. "**What was that for?**" He said trying to compute the last few seconds.

**"Well,"** she said finally lifting her eyes to meet his.** "I told you and now I'm showing you."**

In a dense, almost comical way, he said, **"Oh, I get it. It's like that game, 'Show and Tell.' Well, you know that's good. I like that game."**

"**Me, too. Maybe we should play it more often.**" She said turning to leave.

The "Celestial Rat Pack" watched as Tony stood in shock as Angela walked out the door.

Lena walked over to her son and smacked him on the side of the head.

"Go chase her, jou idiot." She said bringing him back to the real world.

"Angela, wait up!" Tony yelled as he chased her down the hall. "Where are you going so fast?"

When Tony met Angela around the corner, he swiftly took her arm before she could say another word. An almost giddy grin came to her face as she realized how natural it felt to have him beside her this way. As they walked out to the curb in front of the TV studio, Angela raised her hand to hail a cab, but Tony quickly lowered it. He whistled and Angela looked up to see a horse drawn carriage that was passing on the other side of the road. With the night as nice as it was, Tony wasn't ready to head back to the hotel. . .not just yet.

"Where to, sir?" The plump carriage driver said, as Tony helped Angela up into the carriage.

"Well, eventually we need to get to the Radisson," Tony said taking a seat. "But for now, just take your time."

"Hee-haw! We'll do, sir." The driver said with a wink and the tip of his hat.

With the sky turning shades of pink and orange with the coming sunset, Tony found himself enjoying the glow it was casting on Angela's face. It was such a strange and wonderful feeling to have her sitting this close to him again. The ride in a cab would have taken them about ten minutes, but they both found the chance to be alone, for a moment, refreshing.

For all intents and purposes, this was the first time they had really been alone together since their flight back from South Carolina. That trip had been awkward going over because they knew they were married and even more awkward on the way home because they weren't. It had been a quick in and out. And with "The Family" running through all the pros of why they should stay married, it wasn't a mentally quiet trip either.

Tonight was different. They found no awkwardness here. A look every once in a while in the other's direction was all that was needed. It was as if nothing could change their mood and they reveled in it. Without a word, Tony put his arm around her shoulders and took her right hand in his left. She let her head fall to his shoulder and it seemed to fit as if it had always belonged there. He let his head slowly fall to the top of hers and he took in a deep breath. There it was, the scent that had been absent all those months before and so evident that it fueled his insomnia just two nights ago.

"Halleluiah!" Joseph said as he turned around to see the giddy couple. From out of nowhere, generations of family and friends lined the route to the hotel. Everyone and anyone who had played a part in the centuries that it took to get _**this**_ couple to _**this**_ specific point in their love story, came out of the woodwork. Joseph felt like he was driving the lead carriage of a parade. Even dear Robert, who was usually so prim and proper, found himself caught up in the moment and eager to dance with joy at the final, yet meek uttered acceptance of their mutual feelings of "like."

Lena and Matty sat on the bench in front of the happy couple. She was excited, but could tell that her husband's mood did not reflect the festive atmosphere.

"What's up with jou, My Matty?" The sincerity beaming from her voice.

"Don't get tu excited, Lena." Matty told his wife as they sat in the bench in front of the cute couple. "Jou know what happens when jou get excited."

"Can jou please, for once, be happy in de moment, My Matty?" She said taking her husband's arm.

"I would love tu Lena, but dis does not feel right. I feel like we still need tu put our guard up."

"But dey know dey need tu be tugether now. What else do dey have tu prove?"

"It's not dem as a couple dat I'm worried about Lena. It's dem as a family."


	23. Chapter 23: A Chance Meeting

Chapter 23: A Chance Meeting

Chapter 23: A Chance Meeting

Angela boarded the train and tried to find a seat where she could sit alone, undisturbed. She passed through a few cars until she found a section that was almost completely empty. She took a seat in one of the back rows and dropped into it. As the train started up again, she saw her own reflection flashing in and out of the train's window. She'd been crying on and off since yesterday, so her own eyes staring back at her now came as a surprise. She noticed how swollen and puffy her eyes were now and she dug through her purse to find her big, oversized sunglasses. She reached in and found her sunglass case, but as she opened it up her tears seemed to form all over again.

Billy. Billy had placed his sticky mess inside her case as a present for her. She hadn't used that set of glasses since before their trip to Washington, so she figured the mess had gone undiscovered for at least a week. Quickly, she tried to pull the glasses out and clean off the slim. She took a Kleenex to the glasses and wiped them off as best as she could. Within a few strokes, she realized it was pretty hopeless and placed the glasses back in the case and back in her purse. She tossed the messy tissue into a trash can near her seat. As she returned to her seat, she felt a few sticky places on her fingers. She tried to rub them with the Kleenex, but found that the more she rubbed, the more of a mess she made. She ended up wringing her hands together until they were almost red. It was all she could do to find enough of a distraction to keep her tears in, and not think about the little boy who had left the "mess."

She tilted her head up trying to force the tears back. Numbness had taken over everything but the throbbing ache in her chest. She wanted to wake up from this moment. The moment that she always dreaded in the back of her mind. Some how she'd always been preparing for it, but never willing herself to believe that it would ever really happen. She had come to love him and now he was gone.

Sitting there, the unwanted memory of the morning when they returned from Washington began to play in her mind. They had expected to see Carmella Rossini's fish truck in the drive way. She always came by for a visit after a trip to see how things had gone. What they weren't expecting was Mrs. Napoli, Billy's grandmother in the front seat next to her.

As they all exited the Jeep, Mrs. Napoli got out and Billy practically leaped out of Angela's arms into his grandmother's waiting ones.

"What are you all doing here?" Tony had said, just as shocked at the turn of events as Angela was.

"We're here to pick up Billy." Carmella said. "Didn't you get my message?"

"Jes," Mrs. Napoli said smiling and hugging her grandson. "My doctor has given me a clean bill of health and told me dat I am well enough tu take Billy home with me now, for good."

Those words as they escaped Mrs. Napoli's mouth replayed over and over again as the train jostled along the track. In the months that had passed since Billy had come into her life, into their lives, Angela had found her motherly instincts taking over and had found herself falling in love with the sweet, yet incorrigible little boy . She even allowed herself, on occasion, to think of him as she and Tony's son.

On the trip home from Washington, she had found herself holding hands every once in a while with Tony, under the table, basking in the baby step that they had taken together. With this new wave of happiness, Angela found herself watching their "family." She watched Jonathan color with Billy and Mona talk over boys with Sam. With Tony sitting next to her, she thought about how their family had finally felt complete.

As her memory fast forwarded to Billy's departure from their home, she thought of him hugging each of them goodbye, promising that he would see them soon. Once inside the truck, Tony and Angela could only see his small hand waving good-bye to them through the window. She tried her best to smile and wave bravely as the truck drove away. Tony knowing Angela as well as he did, knew that it was all just a show. He'd tried to pull her aside but before the tears could start falling, she lied and said that she had a lot of work to do and locked herself in her study for the rest of the day. Tony had tried several times to get her to open the door, but work was always what seemed to get her through the hard times. Even Tony's double fudge brownies with walnuts had no effect on her.

She leaned on the window of the train now, trying to find some way to keep from crying. Looking down at her sticky fingers, she couldn't help it. She let the tears fall freely and she put her arm on the seat in front of her and let her head come to rest on it.

"Miss, are you okay?"

"Yes," Angela said raising her head but turning toward the window, so that she couldn't make eye contact with the woman behind her. "I'm fine," she lied as she wiped nose.

"I think you dropped your keys."

Angela turned her head in time to see the woman's red hair fall in front of her face.

"Of thank you, I didn't even notice," she said sniffling as the woman raised her head and placed the keys in Angela's outstretched hand. As she looked into the woman's eyes, she thought she saw something familiar in them but could quite place what it was.

"Cute son you've got there." The young woman said noticing the picture of Billy Angela had on her key ring.

"He's not. . ." She couldn't get herself to finish the sentence. So many times during the last several months she had found herself slipping, calling him "My boy." Now, to know that there would never be a chance for another slip, cut her to the bone.

"Did something happen to him?" The young woman said with concern. She took a seat in the bench across the aisle from Angela and seemed to be waiting for her to say something.

"He was just a boy who was living with us for a while. I was hoping. . . we were hoping that it might become permanent one day, but his grandmother came to get him yesterday. I guess I just got too attached. I never thought I'd come to love him as much as I love my own son."

"You should have loved him. I'm sure he deserved nothing less than that. And loving someone, no matter for how long, is never something to be sad about."

"Are you Italian?" Angela asked as she caught herself staring into the woman's eyes.

"Wow, I've never had anyone ask me that before. I am actually, my father's Italian. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just my best friend, who's Italian, is always saying stuff like that. I figured it was an Italian thing."

"Did it help?"

"What?"

"My clever Italian saying?"

"A little, I guess. I just realized that saying could go for the two dark haired men in my life."

"I'm guessing, Billy, is one right? If you don't mind, who's the other one?"

Angela tried to hold back, but after the day that she'd had, it felt good to talk to someone who wasn't emotionally invested in the situation.

"My best friend, Tony the Italian."

"Lots of great sayings but can't speak up for himself?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"My father's like that. He can talk up the world and give everyone and their mother advice on how to live their life, but to get him to admit his feelings. Well that's a completely different story."

"You know your father and Tony should get together sometime. It sounds to me like they have a lot in common."

"Yeah, my grandmother's always saying it'll be a miracle if I'm ever born."

"What?" Angela said making sure she was thinking straight, as she blew her nose.

"I mean. . . that I was ever born. All night study session last night. I'm getting tongue tied again."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you get here then? If your dad is as quiet about his feelings as My Tony is, I think it would have taken a miracle to get you here."

"Well, to make a really long story short. My grandmother said that my mother had to conqueror her fear."

"Fear of what?"

"Fear of being alone, fear of loving and being loved in return."

"Wow," Angela said seeing a bit too much of herself in this conversation. "It is a miracle that you're here at all."

"But it worked. Once my mom convinced herself that she was tired of waiting, everything just kind of came together. It was like fate was playing a hand."

"Well it sounds like your mom is a brave woman."

"She is," said the red headed girl as she reached over and put her hands on Angela's.

In all the awkwardness of her whole conversation with this woman, the only thing that didn't seem odd was this gesture. Angela looked into this woman's eyes and saw true compassion in them.

"I feel like I know you from somewhere."

"It feels kind of nice, doesn't it?"

"It sure does."

The train began to slow and Angela found herself turning to look out at the landmarks to check what stop they had reached.

"Thank you, I think I really needed to talk. It's funny how you showed up just when I needed you most. Thanks," she said again as she started to collect her things.

"That's what I'm here for, a smile and a silly Italian quote. By the way, my name's Kate." The red head said as Angela got to her feet.

"Kate. Nice to meet you, my name's Angela. I hope I'll get to see you again."

"You can count on it. . ."

Angela got up and headed toward the door.

"Mom," Kate said in a whisper.

With a hint of confusion, Angela asked as she turned around, "How did you know his name was Billy?"

She found the train car completely empty.


	24. Chapter 24: Longing

Chapter 24: Longing

Chapter 24: Longing

As Angela pulled her Jag into the driveway, she looked over at the back door and saw Tony waiting for her. She tried desperately not to make eye contact. She knew, in typical fashion, the flood gates would open again the moment she did. She grabbed a tissue from her purse to blow her nose and heard the click of the door opening.

Slowly, Tony opened the door and squatted down next to her.

"You can't run from me forever, Angela." Hearing the tone in his voice, she turned toward him ever so slightly. The last time she could remember him speaking with such lack of composure was when he was talking to her in his father's apartment their first Christmas together. She forced herself to look into his eyes and instantly saw that he was hurting just as badly as she was.

"Angela, are you okay?" He said as he stood up again, his eyes darting down to look down at her floor board, his hand extended.

In a moment of weakness, she got out of the car and let herself fall into his arms. He pulled her close to him and she let herself get lost in his embrace. They stood there in the drive way, holding each other and crying together.

She tried to speak the words of pain echoing through her heart, but they got lost somewhere in her throat.

Deep in his soul, Tony knew she was looking for the answers that he was struggling to find himself. He felt like he was letting her down by crying in front of her.

"I feel like this is all my fault. I was the one who said we should take him in. I feel like I'm the one hurting you all over--" He finally heard himself say.

"Tony, don't say that!" She said cutting him off. "I was the one who convinced you that we should take care of him. I just didn't think I'd grow to love him this much.

"But Angela, we should love him. He deserved nothing less than our love. It would have been wrong for us not to. Right here," he said pulling back a little and pointing at his heart, " right here, he's still ours. He'll always be apart of us, no matter what." Angela looked up at him and brushed a lone tear from his cheek. And remember, Mrs. Napoli said we can have him over whenever we want."

She buried her head in his chest again and thought how ironic it was that she had just heard the same speech, not thirty minutes before, from a total stranger. She let herself take comfort in the words and felt the pain and anger ebb out of her. It was replaced with a warmth that comforted. His hope and conviction were the only things that were helping her stay on her feet.

"What would I do without you, Tony? She said recalling their conversation in the hallway of the hospital the day they decided to take Billy in.

"**'Probably bother more nuns**.'" He said mimicking her answer from the same day.

Angela giggled at the thought.

"I have a surprise for you," he said as he moved away a strand of hair that had blown onto her cheek. He tucked it behind her ear, put his arm behind her and firmly held on to her waist. Leading her around the corner, they made their way to the large oak tree on the side of the house. As they neared the tree, Angela found a picnic all spread out and waiting for them.

"I figured you'd be pretty hungry. Mona said you didn't leave the office all day and I know you didn't eat last night."

"Thank you, Tony. This looks marvelous." She said putting away her Kleenex.

He took her hand and helped her kneel down first and then joined her on the picnic blanket. He dished out a large helping of coleslaw and baked beans from a few store bought containers. Deep down, she knew he wasn't doing well. He never bought any of their usual picnic favorites ready made. He always talked about how anything from a box was "not worth the plastic they stuck it in." She almost commented on it, but knew he must have been pretty distracted, if he'd had to go buy dinner.

As they ate, she watched him trying his best to pamper her, but after a few too many dollops of potato salad, she finally took the serving spoon from him and decided it was his turn to be served. With every bite of food, she realized he was right. They did need to talk.

Staring into his eyes for a moment, she began to run through a conversation with him in her head. The bold determined Angela inside her began to imagine what she would say, if the real Angela had the courage to say the first thing that came to mind.

"_Tony, I want you to know right now, how thankful I am to have you in my life."_

"_Well, Angela I--" In her head, she imagined Tony trying to get a word in._

Sweetly, she pictured herself saying_, "Tony let me say this, because if I don't say it now I think I'll explode."_

_"Sure go ahead."_ She knew the gears in his head would start turning and he'd look at her with some confusion.

_"I look back on my time with Billy and I realize that I don't think I ever said that to him. All the time I spent with him, I had feelings growing inside me. Feelings that I had buried for so long. After my divorce, I put my motherly feelings, the desire to have another child, up on a shelf and I know that it took me a while to dust them off when he came into our home. I didn't realize that I could care for him so much and to think that I've lost him. Not in the real sense of the word, but right here," she could see herself pointing to her head. "And right here." Pointing to her heart. "It's eating me up inside. That I never told him how grateful I am that he came into my life. Tony, I want you to know that no matter what the future holds. I want to know that right here and right now, that I had the courage to tell you how grateful I am that you are in my life."_

"Angela? Are you okay?" Tony said waving his hand in her face.

"I'm doing better." Was all the _Real_ Angela could say when faced with reality.

"I'm glad." Tony found his own sheepish grin coming to his face, as he tried to be jovial.

She played around with the second helping of baked beans on her plate and thought about how much had changed in the last year and how much everything had still stayed the same.

They were back to two children, back to the grindstone at school and work and back to the placid relationship they had before Andy and Kathleen had been the subject of so many nightmares.

Looking over at Tony, she found herself longing to have him take her in his arms and hold her tight. Not just for a second, but for eternity. She craved the gentle touch of his embrace and the warmth of the kiss that they'd had on the bench in Jamaica. The few kisses since then had been "_nice_," but she wasn't satisfied with "_nice_" any more. She wanted a life with him, a real family with him, a child with him. From somewhere inside her, she knew that soon they would have to accept their fate as a couple or go on for the rest of eternity as "just friends" and time was running out.

"Whatcha thinking?" Tony asked as he innocently held hands with Angela on the tree swing after dinner.

"Oh, I guess about everything I have to be thankful for." Angela said smiling up at him.

"We do have a lot, don't we?" He said returning the smile. "You know what I am thankful for?" Tony said a little too eagerly.

"What Tony?" She said taking in the little game they found themselves playing.

"I'm thankful for presents. And do I have a wonderful one picked out for you."

"Present? But is not my birthday."

"No. . . for our anniversary."

"Oh my goodness, I almost completely forgot."

"Seven years. Can you believe it?"

"Actually, no I can't. And that means it's in what? About ten days? Wow, I guess I've got to go find you a present."

"You mean you haven't gotten me anything yet?"

"No, not yet. I was planning on going shopping after the D.C. trip, but . . ."

"Hey, that's okay. Don't worry about it. I have a great. . .I have a wonderful suggestion."

"Good, well I'm all ears."

Tony jokingly looked her up and down. "Thank Heavens that's not true."

"Tony!" Pretending to be offended at the pass, she gave him a little playful shove.

As he kept laughing, he pulled away a little and reached into his pocket. From it, he retrieved the gold watch his father had left him all those Christmas' ago.

"My dad's watch stopped working and it would mean a lot to me if you would have it fixed . . for our anniversary."

"Tony, that's a fabulous idea." She said as he handed her the watch. "But do you mind if I get you something else too?"

"Who would I be to turn down a present from a pretty girl like you?" He said with a wink.

They smiled at each other for a few moments and then up at the sky. The first stars of nighttime were twinkling and Angela found her body aching for the soft mattress in her room. Tony had helped her decompress, but she knew that sleep would help her aching body even more. With the darkness approaching, Tony got up from the swing and started collecting picnic items.

Angela found herself fiddling with the pocket watch and looked back over at Tony's empty wrist.

"Maybe it's time," she said to herself, "for a new family tradition."

Once Angela and Tony were asleep in their respective rooms, Matty and Lena retreated to the familiar courtyard to report in on how Kate's mission was received.

Everyone of the family members had been so happy that after seven years of trying, they had gotten Tony and Angela to at least the "like" phrase. Each of them had felt that having their teeth pulled with no drugs, while sitting in a car being driven by a blind nun over a bumpy mine field would have been an easier assignment than getting these two together had become.

As they all gathered around the familiar family table, Nick and Joseph began to comment on some cuties who were walking past. With an instant, they both stopped talking as they felt Lena's eyes burning them.

"Can a we get down tu de business?" Lena said staring at the troublesome twosome.

Lena took a seat and Robert stood up to call the group to order. Before he could say a word, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see a young man standing behind him.

"Mr. Robinson. Here is a message for you all. I was told to deliver it with all due haste." The young man said as he handed Robert a large official looking envelope.

"Thank you, Gilbert." Robert rushed to open it, wondering what all the pomp and circumstance was for. "Oh, boy! Are we in for it." He said after glancing at the first few sentences.

Robert read the letter out loud.

_"Dear Lena, Robert, Nick, Matty, Marie, Grandpa Mateo and of course, Joseph,"_

"Oh, no, that's bad." Joseph said flapping the lapels of his silken white robe like a fan. "He called each of us by name, and that can never be good."

"Let him finish, Josef!" Lena said in exasperation.

_"This letter is to inform you that you have had an almost endless number of chances to bring Tony and Angela together in the 2920 Earth Days you've been given! And having them say, they "like" each other is not going to bring Kate into the world! Kate and Billy, together, have an important job to do on the Earth and if you don't get your fannies in gear and get these two together, the opportunity for Kate to be apart of your family is going to disappear!"_

They all, in unison, turned to the red headed girl who was sitting under a tree reading a book.

_"If they don't tell each other they love each other in the next ten days, the Saturday after next, their chance for lasting, eternal happiness will be forever gone. Figure it out!_

_Signed, The Big Man"_

"What the. . ." Joseph stood up and began to pace back and forth. "I knew this would happen eventually, but I never thought it would actually. . .happen." He said wiping his brow with his handkerchief.

"Jou knew? Jou knew dat we were on a timeline? But Kate isn't supposed to be born until 1993. I thought we still had plenty of time!" Lena's voice got louder with every syllable.

"Calm down, Lena."

"Calm down!? Everyting dat we have been working for since well, since only De Big Man knows when, is going to go down de toilet, if we don't get dem together in the next ten days! Jou are telling me tu calm down!" She began muttering in Italian, "Questo uomo è impossibile! Che cosa sono io intenzione di fare con te?"

"What is she saying, Matty?" Robert said turning to her husband.

"She's a reciting her recipe for de. . .linguine sauce." Matty said, trying to save his wife some later embarrassment.

As she returned to her senses, she approached the group and took a deep breath. "I tink it tis a time tu pull up de "bigga guns."

"But Lena, they're already on Earth. And besides, we've already tried to use Sam and Jonathan about a million times," Joseph said trying get up the courage to speak again.

"Stupido uomo!" Lena said smacking him on the back of the head. "De bigga GUNS! US! All of us! We've tried tu do it ourselves, one or a two at a time, but we know dat hasn't worked. I tink the only way tu get them tugether is a if we all work tugether now.

"You're right, Lena. I am a stupid man." Joseph said taking in a deep chuckle.


	25. Chapter 25: Fools Rush In

Chapter 25: "Fools Rush In"

Chapter 25: "Fools Rush In"

Unlike the last time, the next nine days really did fly by as fast as Lena could say "Spumoni." The only thing the group had accomplished was getting Angela to buy a watch for Tony for their anniversary. Tony, on the other hand, was being dense as usual. All the way to the mall, Matty and Robert hinted that a nice piece of jewelry or even a bouquet of roses would be a lovely gift. But all the hints in the world were nothing as soon as Tony passed the auto boutique that had a pair of sheepskin seat covers in the window.

"I can only blame myself. I wish I'd been able tu get him tu understand de women more." Matty said lowering his head as Tony entered the jeep with the big white box. "Jou know, I'm going tu get an earful from Lena when she finds out about dis."

"I'm just glad it's you and not me," Robert said with a huge sigh of relief and almost a giggle. "I guess we're going to have to hope that the watch will be enough."

Tony drove back down the street to Feldmar's Jewelry store, where Angela was supposed to be picking up the pocket watch that she was having fixed for Tony. Inside, Lena, Marie and Kate watched as she paced back in forth, trying to figure out what to inscribe on her real gift.

**"Please, lady while you're deciding this watch is becoming an antique."** The jeweler said, quite impatiently.

**"Okay, okay I've got the perfect inscription, put "To Tony, I cherish our time."** Angela said excitedly.

"Oh this is taking forever, Grandma." Kate said growing as impatient as the jeweler.

"She's never going to get it right on her own." Marie piped in.

"Don't a worry." She said trying to pacify her two girls. "I've got de perfect inscription, but I can't tell her just a yet."

** "Oh, no, he's not my 'husband'"** Angela said trying to explain who the watch was for. **"Although we are very close and, lately, we've grown a lot closer. I've told him I really like him. And he's told me he really likes me too!"**

"Now, Grandma?"

"One second." Lena said patiently.

** "No, no, no I want to put something... I've got to say something... I'm tried of it being unspoken! I mean it's time I tell him exactly how I feel!"**

Lena leaned over and whispered in Angela's ear, "The letters."

With instant recognition of what Lena meant, Angela looked the jeweler in the eye and said, **"Put, 'It's time I said "I Love You".**'"

"She didn't?" Robert said when the group was all loaded up in the jeep together again.

"Jes, she did! And unlike some people," she said looking at Joseph. "I am telling de truth."

"You mean she really did have 'It's time I said 'I Love You'' inscribed on the watch?" Robert asked again in disbelief.

"Jes! How many more times do I have tu say it! Our little girl, finally said it to someone other dan me! Isn't it wonderful?"

"But we have to do something to make sure she actually gives it to him." Marie said a little cautiously. "There's still plenty of time for her to back out."

"Well, then we're going to have to do everything we can to make sure they stick to each other like glue today." Robert said rubbing his finger on his chin. "The only thing is, how are we going to get past the seat covers?"

"What seat covers?" Lena said turning toward her husband.

The car ride over to the carnival was a quiet one for Angela. With the disappointment of the seat covers, she hastily made up an excuse as to why she couldn't give him his present yet. With everything that had happened between she and Tony in the last month, she had been expecting a quiet evening for two like they had had on their second anniversary. An uncomfortable car ride over to a loud and noisy carnival with the entire family, never even entered her mind. Without even thinking, she placed the watch in her purse and got ready for a night of low expectations.

"What are a we going tu do now? Lena asked to the group as they followed Angela and Tony around the maze of tents and merry carnival goers.

"Look there's Madame Alexandra's tent!" Joseph said pointing to the huge fortune teller sign. "We've got to get them to go in there."

"A Fortune Teller? Joseph be serious. That's never going to work. You know they're just a bunch of hocus pocus." Robert replied questioning his father-in-law.

"Not her! She and her family have always been on the mark. She comes from a long line of mediums. In fact, I went to go see her mother when I needed to find out where my wife had hidden the key to refrigerator. She knew right where it was."

"What?" Robert questioned in disbelief.

"My wife never trusted me to avoid the late night snacks." He said patting his belly.

"Boys, can a we get back tu de business at a hand?" Lena said a little impatiently. "At dis point, I'm willing tu try anyting."

With a few careful nudges, Mona was able to get Sam, her friend, Jonathan and even Mrs. Rossini to leave the couple alone for a while. The "Celestial Rat Pack" then convinced Angela and Tony to make their way into the tent..

As Angela and Tony took their seats in front of Madame Alexandra's table, the eight heavenly beings tried to crowd in behind her. "Some of jou are going tu have tu wait outside." Lena implored. "Dis tent is a not big enough for all of a us."

"Are jou kidding me?" Grandpa Mateo said, "Joseph and I are de heads of dis a family and I, for one, am not a going anywhere."

"Neither am I, Grandma." Kate spoke up, as she pushed her way in between her two grandfathers to get a better view. "This is my future we're talking about."

"O-kay, o-kay. But we a can't all talk at a once." Lena said giving up.

Noticing the congestion in the medium's voice, Matty asked. "Is a she really sick? Maybe dis a won't a work after all."

"Just give her a moment." Joseph pleaded. "With all of us here, she's bound to pick up something. Even with a cold."

As Madame Alexandra stretched out the hand she'd just blown her nose with and she told the couple that she could predict their future.

"So what info are we going to give her?" Nick asked.

"Tell him he's a housekeeper." Robert suggested to the fortune teller.

**"You are a doctor."** She said as she looked at Tony's hands.

"This is never going to work." Lena said with an air of annoyance.

**"Your wife's a doctor?"** Madame Alexandra said grasping at straws.

**"Ad Exec and she's not my wife."** Tony said in frustration.

**"Fiancée?" **

**"No." **

**"Girlfriend?" **

**"Sorry! Time is up. Survey says, my best friend and my boss." **

"Can we get them out of here now?" Marie asked noticing the time.

"Give her a minute. This will work, I promise." Joseph begged.

**"All right, you are not married now, but you were, but not to each other."** The Fortune Teller said struggling to pick up any kind of psychic reception.

"See I told you." Joseph said with a smirk.

"There's three children." Lena blurted out.

"Lena. . .Billy's not there anymore." Marie reminded her.

"Oops, I keep a forgetting." She said biting her nails.

Angela stepped in now, **"Tony, in a way she's right. Jonathan is like a son to you and there was Billy."**

"That a girl, Angela." Robert said with a smile.

**"I see a change in a relationship with somebody very close to you and things will never be the same."** Alexandra said as Kate pulled away from whispering in her ear.

"Well, that was blunt." Joseph said turning to his great granddaughter.

"I figured somebody had to get this thing moving." Kate said raising her eyebrows.

But hearing the word "change" caused Tony to go into defensive mode. He started talking about how he was happy with the way things were and that he wanted the next seven years to be exactly the same as the previous seven.

"Do something Alexandra!" Joseph yelled.

** "No, no, deep down, there is something you want to change."**

Thinking he was being funny, Tony made a crack about how he'd definitely be changing his barber after the horrible haircut he'd received just that morning. And with that, Angela got up and left. It was the last straw in an already disappointing evening. She felt the weight of her loneliness engulf her all at once and she just wanted to get away.

"His name! Call him by his name." Everyone yelled as Tony tried to follow her.

Madame Alexandra caught him by the arm, **"I'm not finished with you, Anthony Morton Micelli**."

**"Ay oh, oh ay. Take it easy with that "Morton"... Wait a minute. How did you know that was my name?"** Tony said a little shocked.

**"I'm right?"** She said in surprise.

**"Yeah."**

**"Boy, that decongestant must be kicking in."**

"Tell him!" All of them screamed at once.

** "It's time I said I love you."**

In the next few minutes, Madame Alexandra told him how she had seen those words "**written across time**" and how if he didn't kiss his true love by midnight, he could lose her forever.

Tony left the fortune teller's tent, laughing off her predication until he found out just how right it was. A few minutes later, he jokingly quoted her prediction when he found Angela at the hammer game. To Angela's real disappointment, even with fate screaming the obvious to him, she could tell he wasn't going to come around. In almost a gesture of surrender, Angela pulled the watch from her purse and handed it to him.

**"Happy Anniversary."** She said angrily as she walked away, not even waiting for his reaction to the inscription.

Standing there alone, he opened the box and looked down at the watch she'd given him. As he looked it over, he read the words that were etched on the back.

**"'It's Time I Said I Love You.' Way to go, Morton."** He said with regret.

"She told him." Nick said naively from across the midway. "Why aren't you all jumping up and down?"

"Dad. Does she look happy?" Marie asked as she pointed to Angela walking off alone.

"Well, what are we going to do?" Kate said placing her head on Lena's shoulder.

"I don't think there's anymore that we can do." Robert said watching his daughter in sadness. "It's all up to them now."

They all stood watching Tony as he showed the watch to Mona, Carmella and the kids. Joseph even got a laugh out of watching Carmella smack him with a good **"Stunada!"**

Standing there, they watched the group shrink from six to two. Sam alone was the only one left to talk some sense into him.

**"Yeah, Dad, she told you she loves you. So, now the only thing that matters is. . . do you feel the same way?"** Sam said trying to get her dad to open up.

**"Well, yeah."** Tony said, finally allowing himself to admit it out loud.

**"Then Dad, why can't you just tell her?"**

**"Because I'm afraid to, Samantha. I mean, this is the most important friendship of my life and if we take the next step and it doesn't work out, I could end up losing everything!"**

**"I think you're running that risk now, Dad."**

"Did you guys tell her to say that?" Joseph asked, turning to the family.

"No, that was all _my_ Sam." Marie said with a huge smile of pride.

"Hee-Haw and Hallelujah!" Joseph yelled, almost loud enough for the living to hear.

As the minutes past, the group followed Tony around as he chased Angela. With determination now written on his face, they could see he was working up the courage to finally tell her how he felt. With the psychic's words clanging around in his head, he knew, as they all did, that it was now or never. He couldn't lose her, not over this. And he knew that for the first time in the seven years since he'd come to work for her, that he'd actually have to make himself face the feelings he really had for her.

When he finally found her in front of the shooting game, he tried so hard to get the words out once and failed miserably. **"I love. . .I love. . .the watch. I love what the watch says."**

In utter disappointment, Angela practically ran off, wishing him a happy life with the watch.

He had to chase her down again. This time he found himself determined that if nothing else, he would get that kiss.

Thinking she could hide, she went to the one place she knew terrified Tony more than any other ride in park, The Tunnel of Love. Getting on that floating swan alone wasn't her idea of a perfect evening, but at least knowing she was going to exit alone couldn't lower her expectations anymore.

"Run to her Tony!" Lena yelled as the "Celestial Rat Pack" actually ran along beside him.

At his quick pace, Tony left most of the group behind, but his mother was determined to see this through. She ran along side him and gave him that extra amount of balance he needed before he jumped into Angela's swan as it was trying to turn the corner.

As the couple disappeared through the ride's entrance, the family tried to enter behind them, but found their way blocked. Lena stood on the dock closing her eyes, trying to picture Tony, trying to picture Angela has she had millions of time before.

When the rest of the group finally caught up, Lena ran over to Joseph in tears. "What's going on, Joseph?"

Doing the same, Robert turned to Joseph as well. "Why can't we follow them?"

"Because your job for tonight is finished," said a short balding man in a white suit with big glasses walking up the path toward them. He walked up to them carrying a cane in his hand.

"Who are you?" Joseph finally asked.

"The name's Darwin. I'm one of the "Big Man's" assistants. He wanted me to let you know that you've all done an excellent job."

"What are you talking about? Is something going on that we don't know about?" Joseph said trying to get past his confusion and the smile that was beaming on the little man's face.

"This is their moment; they have to do this alone. You can't help them anymore tonight. They have to find the courage to finally tell each other how they feel. This is their last chance."

"But why can't we at least watch," Joseph asked.

"Would you want your family watching when you finally told the woman of your dreams that you love her?"

"Oh." Joseph said with a little smile, remembering back to when he had given Lena the same speech.

"Give them a few minutes, the next part of your jobs will start tomorrow."

"The next part? I thought you said we were done."

"For tonight. Tonight you've sealed the deal, they will be together, but there are a few more hurdles that need to be jumped before Kate is born. What can I say, they're human. They can't see the big picture as well as we can. . .at least not yet."

Fools rush in,

Where Angels fear to tread.

And so I come to you, my love

My heart above my head.

Though I see the danger there.

If there's a chance for me

Then I don't care.

Fools rush in,

Where wise men never go.

But wise men never fall in love,

So how are they to know?

When we met I felt my life begin.

So, open up your heart and

Let this fool rush in.

_**Sung by Frank Sinatra **_

**Ch 26: Stardust** coming soon

(Only 5 more chapters to go. Really, I promise. I'm not kidding.)


	26. Chapter 26: Stardust

"Help

"**Help. Help. Help.**" Tony whispered as he and Angela realized that the carnival was now closed. "**We tried**," he said as he leaned in for another kiss.

As the minutes passed, with their eyes still closed, they spent the next few minutes completely breathless. With their new found warmth in each others arms, lack of oxygen was a small price to pay. Tony's hand made its way from her chin down through the strands of her long blonde hair. His other hand found its way to the small of her back and her hand found its way to the nape of his neck. Somehow breathing and kissing became second nature to the new couple.

As if knowing what the other was thinking, they simultaneously pulled a few millimeters away to take a look into each other's eyes. In the silence, their eyes were now somehow different. It was as if they were seeing each other for the first time, through the eyes of their newly confessed love. Even though the lights were dim in the Tunnel of Love, Tony found that shine in her eyes he'd noticed the day he'd rejected Frankie's proposal. In that instant he knew, he knew how long she'd love him. He closed his eyes as he took her hand and kissed the top of each of her delicate knuckles. With each kiss, he prayed for the forgiveness of not having realized it before.

In his eyes she found relief, relief of pressure, of confusion, of the torture of carrying their secret for so long. She saw how calm his eyes looked now. His whole face had a peace to it that she hadn't seen in years. It was like happiness was spreading over every line and curve of his face. She realized that he was finally allowing himself to be happy.

As he kissed her pinkie's knuckle, she took her hand from his and placed it where his cheek and chin met. The five o'clock shadow was pretty evident and she brushed her thumb over the stubble, the way she dreamed she could have for at least the last four years.

There were no more words, just "the look" and the warmth between them. Tony knelt down inside the swan and leaned out of the boat to grab the ledge on the side of the ride. With very little effort, he pulled the boat back toward the tunnel's entrance. When they reached the dock, Tony got out first and then extended his arm to help Angela step out of the boat.

It was all so much like a fairy tale. She could almost imagine him helping her out of her horse drawn carriage. Her knight in shining armor finally allowing himself to don his uniform and come to her rescue.

As they made their way hand in hand down the empty boardwalk, she found herself giggling.

"What?" He said finally allowing himself to speak.

"I love you." She smiled up at him with the realization that she'd finally let herself say it out loud for the first time. "I love you. I can't believe how easy it is to say. What have I been so afraid of?"

"Hey, you're preaching to the choir here." He said raising their hands up to his lips and kissing the back of hers. "But by the way, I love you too."

It was all so awkward and yet, so wonderful all at the same time. Their mixed feelings of elation, guilt, embarrassment and happiness all rolled into one. As they continued to stroll down passed the closed carnival tents and discarded wrappers and cups on the ground, off in the distance someone in a nearby apartment building had their radio sitting in their window. Through the autumn air, The Stylistics "You Make Me Feel Brand New" was playing. At first it was very faint but somehow the song seemed to grow louder in their hearts.

"Shall we?" Tony said bowing in front of his beloved.

"But, of course." She said taking his hand.

Slowly, he pulled her close to him until they were mere millimeters apart. Within no time they were swaying back and forth to the music.

_Taught me how to live again__  
__Only you__  
__Came when I needed a friend__  
__Believed in me through thick and thin__  
__This song is for you__  
__Filled with gratitude and love_

Tony wanted to spin her around and try every poetic move that he could think of, but in that instant just holding her close was enough. He brushed his cheek against hers and she dropped her head onto his shoulder.

_When others made me insecure__  
__You built me up and made me sure__  
__You gave my pride back to me__  
__Precious friend__  
__In you I always have a friend__  
__You're one on whom I can depend__  
__To walk a path that sometimes bends_

As they both continued swaying to the music, Angela draped both her arms around his neck. He in turn moved his hand down to her waist. They leaned into each other sharing another breathless kiss. It was as if the words to the song had been written just for them.

_Without you__  
__Life has no meaning or rhyme__  
__Like notes to a song out of time__  
__How can I repay__  
__You for having faith in me__  
__God bless you,__  
__You make me feel brand new__  
__I sing this song for you._

As the kiss ended, she rested her head on his shoulder. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath. She wanted so much to take in the smell of his cologne, but quickly realized it wasn't there. She lifted her head to look into his eyes.

"I'll always love you, Angela." Tony said taking a small step backwards. As he did, her left hand dropped onto the front of his right shoulder. On her hand, she saw her engagement ring.

"Tony?" she said as she took her left hand in her right to look at the ring. "It's so beau--" Looking up, she saw she was alone. "Tony? Tony!" She yelled in a panic. The dim light in the night sky around her grew brighter and brighter until it was almost as bright as at noon day. As the lighting calmed, she found herself standing in the field of tall grass from her dream of two years before. No longer was she wearing the flowered strapless dress from the night of the carnival. Tony's Wells College sweatshirt that she'd been wearing for last fifty-nine nights hung on her slim frame. Just like in her previous dream, she found Lena walking towards her.

The realization of the nightmare she was living caused Angela to crumple like a heap onto the ground. Just as she had every solitary moment since leaving Iowa two months before, she found herself crying. This time the pain wasn't sorrow like it had been with Billy. This time it was deeper. A remorse for the loss of true happiness. Lena kneeled down and took her sweet Angela in her arms. Angela, who in the years previous to Tony had always tried to keep her tears to herself, now found herself actually sobbing into Lena's shoulder.

She uttered no words. She just let herself melt into this kind woman's arms. Unable to control the flood of tears, Angela gave into the painful sobs tearing at her soul.

"Go a head, Bella Angela." Lena said caressing her in her arms. "It tis alright tu cry."

Angela's aching chest burned as the sobs grew louder and louder. With every breath she took, she felt more and more of a release as Lena's arms held her tighter and tighter.

With Angela in her arms, Lena found tears coming to her own eyes. Softly, she began rocking back and forth, at first slowly, then in a smooth rhythmic pattern. To the time of her rocking she began to recite a poem in Italian, but to Angela the meaning flowed as though it was spoken in English.

_"Two shall be born, the whole wide world apart,__  
__And speak in different tongues and have no thought__  
__Each of the other's being, and no heed.__  
__And these, o'er unknown seas, to unknown lands__  
__Shall cross, escaping wreck, defying death;__  
__And all unconsciously shape every act__  
__And bend each wandering step to this one end -__  
__That, one day, out of darkness they shall meet__  
__And read life's meaning in each other's eyes"._

As the beauty of the poem began to take hold of Angela's heart, she found the courage to finally look up into Lena's loving face. Still sniffing into the arm of the sweatshirt, Angela began to apologize.

"I'm so sorry, Lena. I don't mean to do this. . .it's just that it hurts--"

"Tu much? Angela, I have cried vith jou before. This is not my first time around, Bella Angela."

"I know, I just hate crying in front of people."

"But Angela, it's a like I've told jou before. Dis is a my job. I am supposed tu help a jou. Comfort jou and let jou know dat every ting is going tu be o-k."

Angela pulled away and turned to look out at the horizon. "But it can't be. I've messed everything up. He's gone. And he's never coming back."

"How can jou be so sure?"

"He's gotten on with his life. He's doing what he's meant to do."

"Bella Angela, those are Tony's words talking." Lena reached over and placed her hand on Angela's shoulder. "Jou know and I know and everyone else in Heaven knows dat dat is not true."

"How can you be so sure, Lena?"

"Remember when I spoke wit jou last, I told jou dat jour fawder, and grandfawder and I were keeping an eye on jou?"

"Yes." Angela said purposely looking down.

"Well, we are not the only ones."

"What? Who. . .else?"

"Well, me telling jou "who" is not important. What is important is dat we have been working for de last thirty-someting years tu help jou and Tony tu get tugether. Jou don't think dat we would have gone through all of dis work just for jou both tu come dis close only tu be satisfied with dis "doing what jou are meant tu do" answer, do jou?

Angela kept her eyes away from Lena. The doubts and fears of the last two months turning cartwheels in her head again.

"Angela, I know jou. I know dat more dan anyting else in dis world, jou want a child . . .a family with Tony. You need Tony."

Without even thinking, Angela quickly turned and looked straight into Lena's eyes. "How did you..."

Noticing the look of surprise on Angela's face, Lena simply explained, "I told jou dat I know jou well." Lena knew she was getting close to giving Angela too much information about her future, but deep down she knew the time for restraint had ended. "I need tu tell jou someting and I need jou tu believe me. Can jou do dat?"

"I don't know, Lena." Angela took her Kleenex and blew her nose. "I think I left my faith back in Iowa."

"I know deep down, jou have faith enough for dis. I want jou tu know dat someday jou will have all dos tings jou dream of **_with Tony._**

"But how Lena? He's never coming back Lena. I have to learn to accept that now," the tears welling up in her eyes again.

"Of all de dreams dat jou have ever wanted in jour life, why are jou giving up de dream dat will make jou happiest of all?"

"Because I can't live like that." Referring to the month she tried to live as a stay-at-home fiancée.

"Jou call dis living, Angela? Mona was a right, what she said a down dere after dinner. Jou can't hide up here in jour room for de rest of jour life. Jou had tu find de courage tu tell him how jou felt didn't jou?"

"Well, yes."

"Well, now jou have tu find de courage tu admit dat jou were wrong. Jou need him in jour life and he needs jou."

"Lena, I can't. . "

"And why not?"

"Because it's not that simple."

"What did Tony tell a jou when jou asked him if jou should a marry dat Geffry wit a "G" persun?"

"He said that **you don't think** . . ." She paused for a second as the light bulb came on in her head. "**these things. . .you ****_feel_**** them**." All of a sudden, it was like the sun was shining after a hurricane. She realized what Lena had been trying to make her see for years.

"Do jou believe me now?"

Angela wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and took in a deep breath. With every ounce of courage in her soul, she whispered a simple "Yes."

Lena took her "Bella Angela" in her arms one last time.

"So what do you have in mind, Lena?" Angela asked.

As the two women stood together wiping each other's tear stained cheeks, Lena replied, "I suggest dat when jou wake up, jou go take a shower."

"What?" Angela said laughing through new happy tears. "Do I smell?"

"No, I just a think afterwards, you'll start tu see de world a lot more clearly."

_Sometimes I wonder why I spend  
The lonely nights  
Dreaming of a song.  
The melody haunts my reverie  
And I am once again with you.  
When our love was new, and each kiss an inspiration.  
But that was long ago, and now my consolation  
Is in the stardust of a song.  
Beside the garden wall, when stars are bright  
You are in my arms  
The nightingale tells his fairy tale  
Of paradise where roses grew.  
Though I dream in vain, in my heart you will remain  
My stardust melody  
The memory of loves refrain._

--"Stardust" Written by Hoag Carmichael,

Sung by Frank Sinatra

FATE

Two shall be born, the whole wide world apart,  
And speak in different tongues and have no thought  
Each of the other's being, and no heed.  
And these, o'er unknown seas, to unknown lands  
Shall cross, escaping wreck, defying death;  
And all unconsciously shape every act  
And bend each wandering step to this one end -  
That, one day, out of darkness they shall meet  
And read life's meaning in each other's eyes.

And two shall walk some narrow way of life  
So nearly side by side that, should one turn  
Ever so little space to left or right,  
They needs must stand acknowledged, face to face.  
And, yet, with wistful eyes that never meet  
And groping hands that never clasp and lips  
Calling in vain to ears that never hear,  
They seek each other all their weary days  
And die unsatisfied - and this is Fate!

**Susan Marr Spalding 1841-1908**


	27. Chapter 27: If You're Not the One

As Tony made his out of his apartment's parking lot, he looked in the rear view mirror to make sure that Candy and Dr

As Tony made his out of his apartment's parking lot, he looked in the rear view mirror to make sure that Candy and Dr. Graham were following. With them in his sights, Tony looked back at the road and then over at Samantha. Since they'd been apart with his move, Tony had missed seeing her everyday. It was funny how the lack of daily contact actually made him more aware of the subtle things about her he'd forgotten. The way she called him "Da" sometimes. The look that she gave him when she didn't like an answer he'd given. He had noticed that last one back in the apartment when he gave his routine answer of "we're both doing what we were meant to do." She could always see past his bluff and he knew it was best to keep quiet. She'd try to read something into anything he said, if he didn't.

He did feel guilty for the silence though. Sam had flown in the morning before to be there for his speech and he felt guilty for not being more excited. He should have been bursting at the seams and yet he was acting as if he was going to a funeral. Keeping his emotions to a minimum had become something of a way of life for him lately. When he was working, it was easy. He smothered himself in it. It was easy not to think about _her_ when he was busy.

"_How is it that work is my excuse for everything emotional?_" He said to himself. As he drove, he thought about how he'd hidden behind his job as a housekeeper as an excuse for not telling Angela how he felt. Now he was using his "dream" job to keep himself away from the woman he loved. "_What's up with that?" Tony asked to himself as he pulled up to an intersection._

_"I don't know you tell me." _He heard a sweet voice say.

"Wha'd ya say, Sam?" He asked looking at his daughter.

"I didn't say anything."

"_Oh! Now I've got you thinking, don't I?" _The voice said.

"Sam, I think you've been hanging out with Hank too long. How are you able to throw your voice like that?"

"What are you talking about? I haven't said a word. I was just looking at that little girl and her mom."

As Tony caught sight of the little girl, he realized she looked a little familiar. Long blonde hair, probably about nine years old. She was almost as tall as the red headed woman she was walking with. As the couple crossed the walk in front of the Jeep, the young girl smiled and waved to Tony.

"_Hey Anthony, whoever she is, she'll be pretty lucky. You're a great kid." _A sweet little voice said.

"What's going on?" He turned down to check the radio and then looked around to see where the voice had come from.

"What's wrong Dad?" Concern rising in Samantha's voice.

"I'm just hearing things."

"Maybe you've been here alone in Iowa a little too long." Samantha said laughing. "The corn is starting to play tricks with your mind." She said waving her fingers like some weird, evil magician.

"Very funny, Sam."

He continued down the road and pulled up in front of the Special Events Center. There were already at least a hundred cars waiting outside. Tony ran around to Sam's side of the car and opened her door. Taking her hand, he escorted her down the sidewalk. As they walked towards the entrance, they came across a dark haired young man and a blonde co-ed engrossed in a very public display of affection. Tony tried not to stare, but it was rather like a train wreck he couldn't take his eyes off of. In their precarious state, a very familiar conversation began to play in his mind.

"**Angela, I mean you may not have noticed, but I wasn't exactly having a ball this weekend. I mean, and it bothered me that you were without me."**

"**But Tony, the best times in my life are with you."**

How many times had that scene played in his head over the years? Too many times to count. But not lately. As in all the years before he'd been able to confess his love, he'd now found himself suppressing his own desires and pushing away his wants and needs again. Once again he only let himself think about her during twilight hours. In dreams, she was always with him. In dreams, she had never left. Any other time it was too painful, too much.

As they entered the banquet hall and took their seats, Candy, Tony's secretary at the college, introduced Tony to the two other ladies sitting at their table.

"Tony, you remember I told you about my friend?" Candy said turning to the long haired brunette.

"Oh yes, Teresa. Hi my name's Tony and this is my daughter Samantha."

"Well it is a pleasure to meet you, both. Let me introduce you to my step-daughter, Kate." She said pointing to the red haired young woman who looked about Sam's age.

"Kate. Good to meet you." He and Sam replied.

As the group got settled, Sam and Kate began talking to each other across the table. A few waiters came by with their meals.

Tony remained silent as he looked around at the group. He pushed the food around on his plate but didn't eat any of it. Goose liver pate. He looked down at his plate expecting to see little pink threads in it. He sighed as he thought about how Angela had tried on their second anniversary to prepare this special dish for the family. He tried to smile, but the smile faded as soon as he realized it was there.

After a few minutes, Tony noticed Teresa was starring at him. He didn't know what to say, so he let Teresa take the lead.

"So ah. . . Tony. . .Candy tells me you're receiving the 'Best New Teacher of the Year' Award tonight. Congratulations."

"Yes. . .thank you." He said rather calmly. "Are you making a speech?"

"Maybe. Dr. Graham warned me to have something prepared."

Teresa looked at him for a second. When he didn't say anything, she took a sip of her water and looked around the room. Everyone seemed to be involved in conversation except for she and Tony. She found herself staring at him again.

"Is there something wrong? Do I have something on my face?" Tony said as he caught her looking at him again.

"I was going to ask you the same question."

"No, you don't have anything on your face."

"Not that Tony, I mean. Is something wrong? I mean, for someone who is going to receive such an honor, you just don't seem that excited."

"I'm sorry, I'm a little distracted tonight."

"Oh, really?"

He thought about saying something, but wasn't really interested in talking, especially about such a painful subject.

"I'm sorry," she said noticing his silent retreat. "I didn't mean to pry."

"You're not. This just seems all wrong."

"Candy told me. About your fiancée. You don't have to apologize."

A little relieved that he didn't have to go into details, he continued to sit there not saying anything.

"Tony? Do you know what "compromise" means?"

"What?" He turned to look at the woman he barely knew and wondered if he should be offended at her offer of a lecture or if she was truly trying to be sincere. As he looked into her eyes, he felt a strange sensation come over him. A feeling he hadn't truly felt since the night of Paul and Isabel's wedding. It was almost peaceful. It was almost how he felt with Mar.. "_Nah_," he told himself. His initial resentment gone, he thought he might as well listen. "I'm sorry, I mean. . . well yes, I know what it means."

"I had a friend tell me once that "com" means 'together' and "promise" is the 'assurance of doing something in the future.' The only way for you both to be together in the future is for you both to compromise."

"How much did Candy tell you?" Tony said feeling a little exposed.

"She told me you and your fiancée just broke up. And that you haven't been the same since."

"I'm sorry, Teresa. I'm really not comfortable talking about her with you. I mean, if I can't even talk about it with her."

"I know Tony. But before you hate me forever, can I just say one more thing? And then I promise I'll get off my divorcee soapbox."

"I guess," he said trying not to be rude.

She put her hand on top of his. "Tony, even if you feel like you've painted yourself into a corner with Angela, eventually the paint does dry."

She quickly lifted her hands from his and took another big sip of her water.

Before Tony could say anything, Dr. Graham was standing at the microphone. "Attention Ladies and Gentlemen, we'd like to welcome you to this year's End of the Year Awards Banquet." Tony stared at Dr. Graham and pretended he was listening but let his mind wander once again.

About thirty minutes into the award ceremony, Samantha nudged her dad.

"Dad. Dr. Graham is talking about you now."

Tony looked up in time to hear the last part of Dr. Graham's speech.

"Our dear Coach and History professor left everything behind to teach at our beloved college and I know that we are all so much better off for his sacrifice. If you'll all indulge me for a few minutes. I have a little surprise for our "Best New Teacher of the Year." Our media department has put together a little movie for our dear teacher documenting his first year with our wonderful school. Jaime hit the lights." The lights went out and Sam turned her chair a little so she could grab her father's arm as they watched the screen.

As the movie started, the audience watched as scenes of the last nine months of his life lit up on the screen. He watched minutes of him in the classroom, around campus and out at the baseball field. But one thing was certain, it seemed that almost somewhere in ever shot they had managed to find a moment when Angela was either standing next to him or somewhere close. The times when they'd had the baseball players over for dinner, or Angela helping out at a faculty luncheon. But as the movie wore on, he found the audience laughing at places that weren't funny. The more it happened, the more it seemed as if they were watching a completely different movie than he was. He turned to look at Sam during one of these moments and wanted to say something, but caught himself. He looked back at the screen and found that not only were there scenes of his time at Wells College, but now they were intertwined with scenes from the last eight years. A haunting love song began to play along with the scenes and it seemed to pierce his heart with every note. He watched as he and Angela laughed together when they teased Mona about one of her boyfriends, hugging each other in a thunder storm at "Kissing Rock," the dream he'd had about marrying her at Paul and Isabel's wedding, their train ride to Washington and so many sweet moments they'd shared alone together.

"Dad? Da." Sam said nudging his arm again. The movie playing in Tony's head stopped and he seemed to wake up to thunderous applause. Looking around, he realized all the eyes in the room were on him.

"Tony, you'll do fine." Teresa said as she handed him the note cards sitting in front of him. "Thanks Teresa." He said taking the cards. He took in a deep breath and made his way up to the podium.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright, Dad?" Sam asked as she got out of the Jeep about an hour later. His speech ended up being a more abbreviated version than the one he'd prepared and she could tell he was wiped out. Despite his words to the contrary, Sam asked him to drop her off at the airport right after the banquet. It was an hour before her flight, but she knew he needed some sleep.

"I'll be fine Sam. Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to the gate?"

"No, Dad. I'll be fine. You get your rest." She said adjusting her shoulder bag. "I'll call you in the morning? Besides, we've got to start planning that trip to Florida for Christmas."

"Yeah," he said in a monotone voice. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you, Sam." He said barely smiling.

He sat in the car as he watched her walk into the terminal. He hated to see her go so soon, but she had been right. There was something about the entire evening that had drained him. Having Angela flash through his head every five seconds was the last thing he thought he needed. He was never going to get over her if he kept this up. And yet, he didn't want to get over her. The more time that passed without her, the more he knew he never really would. Maybe getting a good night sleep was the thing he needed most. At least in dreams, he knew they were just dreams and he couldn't be hurt by getting his hopes up.

Was he drove back through town towards his apartment, he'd had enough of his own thoughts and decided to try listening to something on the radio. He pressed the SCAN button and waited for the radio to settle on a station.

"_How can I forget, when each face that I see__  
__Brings back memories, Of being with you__  
__I just can't go on, Living life as I do__  
__Comparing each girl to you__  
__Knowing they just won't do__  
__They're not you"_

"Okay. There's got to be something else on," Tony said as he changed the station from "You are Everything" by The Stylistics. Pushing the button again, the radio settled on another song.

Anita Baker and James Ingram began to sing:

_Keep the memories take the best of what we had__  
__I can't stand to watch what once was great go bad__  
__And if I can't be with you__  
__Then I rather just remember what we knew__  
__When you love someone__  
__And you love them with your heart__  
__And it doesn't disappear if you're apart. . ."_

"Okay, enough is enough. Frank, help me! Please," he said as he pushed the CD button on the car stereo. Frank Sinatra's voice began to sing, but to Tony's despair it wasn't a song he was prepared to hear.

"_In the hush of evening__  
__As shadows steal across my lonely room__  
__I think of you__  
__I think of you__  
__From afar the music__  
__Of violins comes softly through the gloom__  
__All I can do__  
__Is think of you__  
__O I can see you standing there before me__  
__And I can hear you whisper__  
__You adore me. . . ._

"Great. I'm in trouble if Frank can't even help me." He reached over and turned off the radio as he entered the parking lot of his building. He got out of the Jeep and opened the back door to retrieve his plaque. Carefully, he put it under his arm and headed into the building to walk up the flight of stairs that would lead him to his front door. Turning the key and opening the door, he noticed what a sharp contrast the darkness in the apartment was from the light in the hallway.

Emptiness.

He walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

Darkness.

He didn't turn on the light. He knew with the light on, he'd be able to see he was truly alone. He looked around at the simple silhouettes of the furniture that started to come into focus as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light. The moonlight hit the couch and he plopped down on it.

"**So, how does it feel to have your own place?" **Angela had said to him their first few minutes after arriving in the apartment.

"**It feels nice."** He'd said.

"**Well, let me show you one of the benefits." **She'd said as she leaned over to kiss him passionately while he sat on the couch.

Still all those months later, he could still feel her kiss on his lips.

"What's going on with you, Micelli?" He said out loud. "It's like the night is getting to you. She's gone, you're just going to have to accept it."

"But why Tony?"

"Who said that?" Tony quickly turned toward the voice.

"I did, Tony." Marie said walking out of the shadows.

"Marie? No, you're . . ." Tony said as Marie began to walk towards him.

"When are you going to come to your senses, Tony?"

"To be honest, I think right now, I've lost them." He tried sliding backwards on the couch.

"Tony, what are you so afraid of?"

"Right now, I'm afraid of you."

"Cut it out Tony!" Marie said taking a seat next to him. "I'm trying to help you and you're being such a stupido uomno." She said waving her hand up turned in front of her face. A gesture she displayed when she was mad at Tony in life.

"Marie?" He said looking in her eyes. "But how is this possible?"

"I don't know Tony," she said taking his hand. "All I know is that you need to get you body back to Connecticut. Your mind and your heart are already there."

"But Marie, my dream job is here."

"Those are Angela's words talking, Tony. You've got to have faith. What good is it to have a dream job if your life outside the dream is miserable. You already think of her every sleeping moment. Why don't you let yourself experience that kind of happiness the other sixteen hours of the day?"

"But Marie, she's gotten on with her life. It's been two months since she left. I'm sure she's happy. She's back at work where she belongs."

"Oh my goodness, you two have got to be the most stubborn couple I've ever met. You have no idea do you?"

"I don't understand, Marie. What are you talking about?" Tony said perking up and waiting to find an answer.

"Do you know how lucky you are? How many people are counting you, are trying to help you both get together?"

"Well, I know Mona's always been plugging for us."

"Tony stop it! Stop kidding yourself! You two are meant to be together, everyone in Heavens knows it! I know it! Tony, I was married to you for six years. I know the love in your eyes when I see it. And that love has disappeared since she left. Do you know how miserable _I've_ been the last two months? Crying for the sorrow I see in your eyes and in your heart right now? How many times have I told you Tony? I can't be happy in Heaven, if you're not happy here. I need you to let yourself be happy Tony. Your eternal happiness depends on it."

"But what am I going to say Marie?"

She placed her hand on his chest and sweetly kissed his cheek. "It's a long flight back. You've got plenty of time to think about it."

Tony closed his eyes. He reached up to put his hand on top of hers, but found no hand there. He opened his eyes and found himself alone once again.

"Thank you, Amore Mio." He said as he blew a kiss to the sky.

He ran around to the back of the couch and grabbed the telephone, dialing a few numbers.

"Oh, Sam. I'm so glad you have your cell phone." He said when Sam finally picked up.

"What's up, Da?"

"Can you buy me a plane ticket while you're there at the airport?"

"Dad, I don't think I can buy the Florida tickets this early."

"No, for tonight. I thought you might like some company on the flight. . . _home_**.**"

To watch Tony's dream: **/watch?vUeoVgLiM6fs**

_Songs of Chapter 27:"I Think of You" by Frank Sinatra, "If You're Not the One" by Daniel Bedingfield, "When You Love Someone" by Anita Baker and James Ingram, "You are Everything" by the Stylistics_


	28. Chapter 28: The Circle of Our Love

Lena stood outside Angela's bathroom door as Kate walked in.

"How long has she been in there, Grandma?"

"About a five minutes already, she's a still pretty upset from de dream. I tink she's just trying tu relax for a little while in de steam. Where's Marie?"

"She's riding back from the airport with everyone?"

"Everyone?"

"Sam, Dad, Grandpa Matty and Grandpa Robert. I think my grandpas' wanted to make sure that Dad doesn't have a chance to back out this time. And frankly, I don't blame them."

"And Josef?"

"Heaven knows, Grandma."

"Tunight of all nights." Lena said shaking her head.

"Is there anything that we've forgotten?"

Lena pulled out their checklist and looked through all the things that had been done and crossed out for that day in particular.

2,673. Have vision of 9-year old Angela and 28 year old Mona crossing the sidewalk appear to Sam and Tony.

2,831. Have Tony hear his conversation with Angela from the bus bench in Jamaica as he watches, Hanna and Jared make out on the bus bench outside the Special Events Center.

2,914. Have Robert nudge Mona into giving Angela "the speech" after dinner

3,146. Angela and Tony movie during awards ceremony.

3, 200 Make sure the music is queued in the Jeep.

3,298. Make sure Sam can buy a ticket for Tony to return home.

As Lena finished looking down the list, the only thing left on the list was #3344 -- Get Tony to knock on Angela's front door.

"No, Bella Kate. I think we've gotten it all done. Our part dat is. From dis point on, it is up tu jour fawder and muther."

"You know Grandma, I don't know which I'm more excited about, the look on Mom's face when she opens the door and finds Dad standing there or the look on her face when they get to that little wedding chapel and find Mona, Jonathan, Sam and Hank already waiting for them."

"But a what if Tony walks in de door, proposes tu her again and she says a no?"

"After all this time, Grandma. You need to have more faith." She said resting her head on her Grandmother's shoulder. "Isn't it wonderful, after all these years?"

"I can't believe it. Tunight is finally here and in eleven short months you'll be born. Are jou nervous?"

"You know I thought I would be, but knowing what a wonderful family I'm born into, I'm not. Not at all."

"I am so proud of a jou."

"I know Grandma and I want you to know . . .how grateful I am for all the work you've all put into getting me here. . ._them_ here. . . to this point."

"Now, in case I for-get between now and a when jou leave. . .

"Which I know you won't."

Not paying attention to Kate's response, "I want jou tu know how a much I love jou."

"I know Grandma."

"And," she said raising her finger to point at her, "also, dat I want jou tu play a little hard tu get with dis Billy boy. Just not as hard as jour parents, okay?"

"I know Grandma."

"I know jou tu will find jour way tu each other, with a little help from a us," Lena said hugging her granddaughter.

"But things will not be easy for jou. Life is getting harder and a harder and it will be very easy for jou tu miss de mark if jou are not paying attention."

"Yes, note to self." Kate joked, "Avoid co-ed study groups at all costs."

"Jou silly woman." Lena said with a smile. "From what I have a seen of dis a boy, Billy will be good tu jou. Just don't be tu blind tu see, like a me. Okay?"

"I'll try my best, Grandma."

From behind the door, the two women could hear the shower turn off.

"She a coming. I'm so glad she picked dat a pink bathrobe," Lena said smiling. "Itsa always a been my a favorite."

"Is she ready?"

The women turned around to find Matty just inside the door way.

"What are jou doing in here?" Lena said scowling at her husband.

"I was a just asking if she was a ready!"

"No, she just got out of de shower. Go tell everyone tu stall for a minute. Let her at least get her hair up in a towel.

Outside in the front yard, Jonathan, Mona and Hank stood waiting by the driveway as Tony and Sam pulled up. When Sam finally placed the car in PARK, Mona walked over and stuck her head in the passenger side window.

Before Tony could defend himself, Mona reached in and grabbed his ear. "Well, it about time ya Boozo!"

"Oww! Yes, Mon. I know."

Rubbing his ear, he leaned over to the driver's side and kissed Sam on the cheek.

"You'll be fine, Dad. Now you're doing what you're _**really**_ meant to do."

"Thanks, Sam."

Tony exited the car and started hugging everyone. When he got to Mona, he stopped for a minute and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you. Thank you for always believing. . . Thank you, Mon. _Mom_." He said the last word with a little smirk.

"Ya, stinker." She said smiling at the man she'd grown to love. Before a rebel tear could make its way down her cheek, she quickly changed the subject and pointed up to Angela's window. "I think I heard her shower going when we came outside. So if she doesn't answer, just give her a minute."

"Thanks. Well, wish me good luck."

As Tony walked up the driveway to the sidewalk, he waved at the foursome as they drove east on Oak Hills Drive, on their way to wait for the couple at "The Little Chapel of Love."

"He looks nervous." Lena said as the whole "family" crowded for a space on the porch behind Tony.

"Why don't some of you go over to the other side of the door with Angela?" Robert pleaded, trying to elbow in a space between some of his ghostly relatives.

"Are you kidding me, Grandpa?" Kate said with a smile. "This is the best seat in the house."

"Ring the bell, already." Joseph said. Everyone turned to look at the man who had been absent for all the important night's festivities.

"It's about time you got here." Marie said looking at the lip stick print on his cheek.

"Well, have I missed anything yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Well then, he needs to ring the bell already."

Tony straightened his tie for the fifth time in so many minutes. Clearing his throat, he raised his hand to ring the doorbell.

A big smile came to his face as he heard _**her**_ voice reverberating through the house."

"**Jonathan, can you answer that door? Mother!"**

Tony tried to compose himself as he heard the turn of the knob.

As the door way opened and her parents' eyes met, Kate patted her father on the back, "I was right . . .this _**is**_ the best seat in the house."

But unknown to the heavenly guardians, this was not the second time Tony had come to her door. It was actually the third. The first time had been in a time that neither Angela or Tony could now remember. But yet, it was the start of a grand and wonderful tradition.

"Angela!" A twenty-something Tony yelled into the room labeled "1950." "Hello! Has anyone seen Angela, waist length sandy blonde hair with chocolaty brown eyes?"

There were several blank stares and then a young man from a middle bench yelled, "Tony! I think she's in the back, I'll go check."

"Thanks, Michael." Tony said waving to the young man. Tony waited patiently for a moment and then saw the woman he was looking for making her way through all the young people dressed in white.

"Tony!" She said recognizing his face and quickly weaving her way through the room towards him. "What are you doing here?" She said flinging her arms around him. "You're going to get into so much trouble." She whispered in his ear.

He returned her embrace and held her as tight as he could.

"Hey. Don't worry about it. I had to come and say goodbye one last time."

"But Tony, they're about to call my name. I can't miss my turn, it will throw everything off."

"I know Honey Bunny,"

"Tony,. . .everyone's watching." She said a little shyly.

"I know, but I just had to come and hold you again."

"You're gonna see me in a few minutes when you come to look me over after my mother gives birth."

"But Angela, by then you'll be a little baby. It won't be the same. I won't be able to do this."

He leaned in and kissed her once again as he had all the times before this moment. He was so happy that it was finally her turn to go to Earth and become a part of a family. But he was nervous all the same. There were too many unknowns, too many chances for them to miss each other. He tried to convince himself that things would work out, that they would find each other.

_She knew that look. She knew what he was thinking even before they broke their kiss._

"It'll work out Tony. What was that you told your mom when she left? 'Sometimes you have to say goodbye to say hello again.'"

"But there will be so many other guys who come along before I do, so many guys who'll be able to give you the life that I won't. . ."

Before he could finish his thought, Angela put two of her fingers up to his lips. "Tony, can I just say something?"

With his lips still covered, he nodded in the affirmative. She pulled her fingers down and he looked at her hesitantly, "What is it?"

"Tony, you'll be knocking on the door of my heart before you know it." They leaned into each other one more time and the kiss, in the eyes of Heaven, really did seem to go on forever.

There was a tap on her shoulder and the twosome finally broke apart.

"Angela, you're up next." Said a little man with big glasses holding a cane.

"Thanks Darwin." Tony said blushing. "That was good." He whispered in her ear.

She smiled right back as they broke their embrace. Her fingers glided from his shoulders, to his elbows, to his wrists as she started to walk away with Darwin. "Well, I guess it's time to go," she said not being able to take her eyes off him. They held hands as long as they could and as their fingertips finally separated Tony cleared his throat.

"I love you, Angela. And just for the record. I loved you first."

"I know Tony." She said as she walked through the doorway.

(Only two chapters left. I promise. Really.)

_The Circle of Our Love_

_I've seen that smile somewhere before  
I've heard your voice before  
It seems we've talked like this before.  
Sometime, who can be certain when?  
But if I knew you then,  
It's strange I can't remember  
Feelings come so strong,  
Like we known each other oh, so long.  
The circle of our love is more  
Than just a rising sun that sets,  
The circle of our love, it goes forever…_

_Beyond the span of days and years, it goes forever  
The circle of our love is found  
In every warm and tender thing  
That lips may breath and hearts may beat, forever._

_--Saturday's Warrior by Lex de Azevedo_

_Unexpected  
Understatement of the year  
That's for sure  
Who'd have thought that  
I'd be standing at your door. . ._

_Unexpected  
I'm not used to chasing dreams  
And catching them  
All of a sudden  
I'm a winner in the end. . .  
For you from me  
Everything we want will be  
Holding us together tonight, tonight.  
__  
__--For You From Me Writers: Edwards, McLauglin, Spock and Christy  
Sung by Jon McLaughlin_


	29. Chapter 29: Love Will Prevail

As the sun tried peeking through the gray clouded sky, the after effects of the early morning rain continued to be felt

As the sun tried peeking through the gray clouded sky, the after effects of the early morning rain continued to be felt. The last persistent rain drops fell on the leaves of the oak trees, almost sounding tropical. The window to the hotel room was open and a slight cool misty breeze was coming through. Even with the small amount of natural light in the room, there was enough to see the two happily sleeping, snug and warm, under the white lacey down comforter.

He was the first to stir as the clock on the nightstand flashed 10:03 AM. Believing he was still asleep, he noticed a tuft of blonde hair poking out from the covers beside him. Closing his eyes again, he leaned over and took in a deep breath of her hair. He found as in all his dreams before, that the scent he was taking in was _**hers**_, his favorite scent. As he exhaled, the emotional roller coaster ride that had been the last nineteen hours zoomed through his lingering dream. Opening his eyes once again, he prayed that the dream was not over. To find her beside him in his waking hours, made him want to pinch her to see if she was real. Instead, he opted for a kiss.

As he placed his lips on her cheek, she sighed as his stubble tickled her.

"Good morning, Mrs. Micelli."

With the return of the newlyweds from their impromptu wedding and honeymoon, the family threw the couple a modest reception in one of the Fairfield Inn's smaller ballrooms. As the crowd was seated, Jonathan announced the couple's arrival and they made their way to the center of the dance floor to enjoy their first public married dance together.

From out of the shadows, eight people appeared taking their places at the side of the dance floor. They watched the twosome with pride, several of them grinning from ear to ear. In their heavenly state, none of the guardians could be seen by the other guests, but their love was felt by all.

"We finally did it." Joseph said as he ran his fingers up and down his gleaming white robe. "And it didn't take that long."

"What do you mean **_that_** long?" Marie said incredulously.

"I meant. .when you look at it in the eternal. . .scheme of things." Joseph said trying to save his pride. Looking out at the dance floor, Joseph realized the happy couple was no longer dancing alone. Sam and Hank had now joined them along with several other guests.

"Hey, I don't get out as much as I used to, why am I wasting my time just standing here?" Joseph walked over to Lena. "May I have this dance?"

"Hey! Howa jou say, 'get a girl of jour own.' She's a taken." Matty said, taking Lena out to the dance floor.

"Don't a look at a me." Grandpa Mateo said as he walked over to an empty table to take a seat.

With a wave and a wink, Marie and her father, Nick, left to join the others.

Left standing alone, Joseph made his way over to the table where Grandpa Mateo was seated.

"All dressed up and no one to dance with." Joseph said as he watched the happy couples out on the floor.

"Speaking of all dressed up, Josef. Why of tings are you dressed in white pajamas? What de heck were jou doing when jou died dat caused jou tu have tu spend de rest of eternity in pajamas?

"Oh that." Joseph said with a little embarrassment. "Well, if you have to know. Remember how I told you that I went to the psychic to find out where my wife had hidden the key to the refrigerator?"

"Jes."

"Well that night, I used the key to open the frig for one of my late night snacks. My wife came up behind me with cold cream on her face and scared the willies out of me. I dropped dead right there."

"Jou are joking?"

"Sadly, I wish I were. I have to say, pajamas aren't the most elegant way to spend eternity, but definitely the most comfortable. Mona had bought 'em for me. Do you like 'em?"

"Jou are such a joker, Josef." He said patting his friend on the back. "By de way, where is a Mona?"

Joseph turned around the room and found his target. "She's over there." Joseph said pointing her out in the crowd to Mateo. "Get a room you two!" Joseph yelled to his daughter and her husband as they leaned in for yet another kiss. "Don't those two ever come up for air?"

"They're ghosts, Joseph." Mateo said nudging him. "I think air is the least of their worries."

Since Mona's arrival in Heaven, a year ago in "Earth" years, she and Robert only had eyes for each other. Getting them to pay attention to anything else was nearly impossible.

"Well, what are you and I going to do at this shindig to keep ourselves occupied?"

"I've a got my own plans, but for jou, I found someone for jou to dance a wit. Jou remember my friend, Carmella?" Grandpa Mateo stood to introduce Joseph to the twenty-something version of Mrs. Rossini. As this version of Carmella approached, Joseph's jaw hit the floor and he shook his hand in front of his chest. In her heavenly state, she truly was "heavenly." Long brown hair, a 26 inch waist and a voice as soft as lilies.

He let out a whistle. "No, not in this lifetime." He said without thinking.

"Mateo tells me you're Mona's father." She said a wink.

"Why yes." He said as he kissed the top of her hand.

"Shall we dance?" She said taking his arm.

"After you."

"Uh-na-der match made in de Fairfield," Grandpa Mateo said as he pulled out his cards for a game of Solitaire.

Across the room, there was another couple who hadn't yet taken the floor. It wasn't that they couldn't. It wasn't that they didn't want to. It was just that at that moment, they were soaking in the new future of the couple that was dancing before them.

"Remind you of someone," she said smiling at the gray haired man sitting next to her.

"You know they do remind me of someone, but I just can't think of who." He said without a second thought.

"Tony!" She looked at him, a little playfully as he took her hand in his.

As the familiar spark of her touch warmed his hand, he began to turn the wedding band that held on so desperately now to her slim, delicate fingers.

"Do you ever regret--"

"Waiting?" She said finishing his thought as she so often did now a days. "At the time I did. . .but I think time is what made us. I don't think we'd have been as happy as we are now, if it hadn't been for the waiting."

"But we could have had a few more--"

"Kids? You know, I always knew that there would be one for us out there, waiting to come into our home. I guess that's why I was so willing to take in Billy. Who knew he'd be the reason we had Kate?" She said, thinking back to the time when she thought she'd lost Billy and knew for sure that she wanted a child with Tony.

"And still we get to keep them both." Tony said admiring the young newlywed couple on the dance floor. "They look so happy, don't they?"

"They sure do."

As the couple's first song ended, Jonathan and Samantha joined the DJ on the stage. Sam grabbed the microphone and tried to get the crowd's attention.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. My little sis Kate and my kid brother, Billy—"

"Boy, am I going to need some therapy after this." Jonathan said interrupting Sam.

The crowd laughed at his try at humor.

"Sorry, guys." Sam said elbowing her brother. "They've asked to say a few words, but before they do. I'd just like to tell them how happy I am that they've carried on the long family tradition -- of cheap weddings. I love you, both."

"Love you, guys." Jonathan quickly said into the mike.

"Thanks, Sam. .. Jon." Billy said taking the mike, as Jonathan and Sam kissed he and his bride. "As you all know I'm a very familiar fixture in the Bower-Micelli household. I have been on and off since I was four. I lived with Tony and Angela for a year when I was young and as a teenager, they helped keep me on the right path. But I can't lie and say that Tony's cooking was the only thing that kept me coming around."

He turned sweetly to his new bride and kissed her cheek.

"Kate, if love at first sight is possible at age six, then I guess it happened to me. I have never pictured anyone in my life but you. I know we've had our share of struggles and I can't promise that they're over, but I can tell you this. I know with all my heart that our love was written on the stars. I love you."

She took the microphone from him. "I have just five words to say to you, my love. Shut up and kiss me!"

They stood kissing each other once again to the roar of the audience. And the DJ started the music once again.

Kate broke their kiss and silenced the crowd. "Before everyone one goes back to dancing, I wonder if you'll indulge Billy and I for a moment." The DJ quickly stopped the music.

"There are two people in this room who never got a chance to have a reception like this when they were married at the spur-of-the-moment, oh about 25 years ago. Now we've tried for years to get them to settle on "their song," but they had way too many favorites to choose from. So we picked one for them. And for those of you who know their story, we think it fits them perfectly. I think it's their turn to have their 'first' dance. Mom and Dad, the floor is now yours. DJ, hit it."

"May I have this dance?" Angela looked up and saw Tony standing next to her with his hand extended.

As she took his hand, "After All" began to play over the loud speakers. As the first few words were sung, a sweet, familiar electricity ran down her spine.

He lead her onto the floor and let the words to the music move them. The magic of this "first" dance was there just as it had been all those years before at the carnival, but this time there was no doubt, no hesitation. Tony knew she wasn't going anywhere, so he allowed himself to dip, spin and caress her as long as the music played.

As the closing line of the song was sung, Angela looked teary eyed at the sea of on-lookers. "Tony, I wish our parents could be here tonight. Mother would have loved this."

"They are Angela, they are." Tony leaned in and kissed his bride of twenty-five years, happy in the thought that no matter what, love and families are forever.

The End

Well, here we are again;

I guess it must be fate.  
We've tried it on our own,  
But deep inside we've known  
We'd be back to set things straight.

I still remember when  
Your kiss was so brand new.  
Every memory repeats,  
Every step I take retreats,  
Every journey always brings me back to you...

When love is truly right  
(this time its truly right.)  
It lives from year to year.  
It changes as it goes,  
Oh, and on the way it grows,  
But it never disappears,

Always just beyond my touch,  
You know I needed you so much.  
After all, what else is livin for?

After all the stops and starts,  
We keep coming back to these two hearts,  
Two angels who've been rescued from the fall.  
After all that we've been through,  
It all comes down to me and you.  
I guess its meant to be,  
Forever you and me, after all.

--After All written by D. Pitchford and T. Snow

There, There was a Time I knew  
That NO Matter come what may,  
love would prevail  
And then inside the dreams I knew  
Came the question lovers fear  
Can true love fail?  
Then I would miss the childhood wish  
And haven't I sung to you  
Of the knight in armor bright  
Faithful and true to you. . .

I know in my heart and mind  
That no matter, come what may,

love will survive  
And love, the author of space and time  
Keeps the galaxies and each sparrow alive  
And the love that heals the wound  
After the war is through  
Is the knight in armor bright  
Faithful and true to you

Darling, after all  
I will be the one to hold you in my arms  
After all  
I will be the one to hold you  
I will be the one to hold you in my arms,  
In my arms. . .

AFTER ALL sung by Al Jarreau


	30. Epilogue: What If It All Goes Right?

_**My Darling Kate,**_

_**My dear sweetheart. I can't believe what a wonderful addition you are to our family. In the five short months since your arrival, you've brought so much laughter into our lives and love into our hearts. Your smile brightens my day and almost makes me want to pinch myself, wondering if you and everything else in my life is a reality. So many times in my life I wished for you and this kind of happiness, but was too scared, too caught up in thinking that it was a pipe dream to really fight for it. For that my dear Kate, I am so sorry. But in spite of all of the false starts, I have been blessed, beyond my wildest dreams. God has blessed our home with you. I don't know why, but I most certainly know how.**_

_**I know you are too young to understand what I'm about to say. Even thinking about it right now, I don't believe it myself. But I have to tell you, just as your Grandma Lena helped me see, that the "how" is love. I guessing that you will probably be in your early twenties when you read this. Old enough to know that your Grandma and I never met. And yet, because of her, I found courage, forgiveness and faith just when I needed each of them most. Because of her example and love, I find myself sitting here today writing this letter to you. I know that it's crazy to be thinking about passing on what I've learned to a five month old, but someday this will all make sense. I hope that my experiences in falling in love with your father won't come in handy, but just in case, I hope you learn from my mistakes so that you don't have to go through the heartache and loneliness that I did.**_

_**The road to love with your father wasn't easy. I'm certain by know you will have heard the stories from Sam and Jonathan and your Grandma Mona about all that they went through in the eight years it took to get us together. There were potholes, toll fees and spike strips all over it. Of course, I'm over-exaggerating, but looking back at what we had to get threw to get from point A to point B can be overwhelming. But without going into every detail, let me just say that I'd do it all again if I had to. Because at the end was you.**_

_**I love your father. I did for years without even realizing it. And once I did, it was so hard to tell him because of our friendship. He was my anchor, my counselor, my cohort in crime and I was so afraid, for so long, that taking the next step would change that. That if things didn't work out, I would lose him and everything he was to me. Eventually, my love for him and my longing for you were too overwhelming and I finally shared my feelings. To my surprise, he'd felt the same way for probably as long and hadn't shared his feelings for the same reasons. For a time, we were happy and we started planning a future together. But old insecurities and habits got in the way. Amazingly, fate wouldn't let us part that easily. Before we knew it, we were back together, married and expecting you within just three short months. It seems like a lifetime ago.**_

_**My darling Kate, I hope I haven't scared you or hampered your vision of what our courtship was like. There was, has always been, a kind of beauty to our love. Right from the moment your father knocked on my door. It was like some how he was knocking on the door to my heart. At the time I didn't know it. But who truly does when it's staring you right in the face? Life, with all it distractions, has a way of blinding you, making you miss things that you might have noticed, taking for granted things that bring you the most joy. But through it all, I want you to know that I've learned that true love survives. Through all the heartache, the pettiness, the jobs, the disappointments, financial problems, when you truly put your heart in to letting someone love you, all that stuff doesn't matter at all. The love is what you have left when everything else is gone. If you don't have that, you don't have anything. So promise me, my Bella Kate, take the love with you? Will you do that?**_

_**I'm looking at you right now, asleep in your crib. Your tiny cheeks always seem to be red like strawberries. They almost seem to match your hair. You're daddy already has plans to hire a body guard when you turn twelve. He's so protective. The only boys he lets near you are Jonathan and Billy. And even Billy, has to walk a fine line with your father. He made the mistake of telling your dad the first time he saw you, that he was going to marry you. Ever since then your dad's been watching him like a hawk every time he comes over. Don't worry, your father will get over it. Eventually. I hope.**_

_**Please know, Kate, that I love you. No matter what, my love will be here. I feel like we've just met and yet, somehow like I've always known you. I hope we can always be this close.**_

_**Well, my Pretty Princess, your Daddy's calling me down to dinner. But before I go, one more time.**_

_**I Love You,**_

_**Mom**_

**_P.S. And to my dear future son-in-law, please be patient with your sweet wife. Stubbornness seems to run in the family. _(_Just kidding, Sweetheart_.)**

Angela placed the cap back on the pen and neatly folded the sheets of stationery. She got up from the rocking chair that was sitting next to Kate's crib and leaned over the crib's side to kiss her sweet daughter's forehead. As she straightened up, she felt a firm but gentle set of arms embrace her from behind. A deep voice whispered in her ear.

"Well, Mrs. Micelli. Are you ready for dinner?"

"Yes, sir," she whisper back. "I just have to do two things first."

"What's that?"

"First." She slowly turned and wrapped her arms behind his neck and slowly leaned in for a kiss. As usual, her husband's lips met hers before they were halfway to their goal.

"What's the second thing?" He said as his lips continued to skirt hers.

"I've got to put something away." She replied as she lead him, by the hand, out of the baby's room. She entered the master bedroom and knelt down in front of an old cedar chest. Lifting the lid, she reached up and pulled out a faded envelope that was held onto the inside of the chest's top by some ribbons. "My Dear Matty" was written on the outside. She placed her newly written letter in with the three original ones and place it back in lid.

"What's that?" Tony asked catching a glimpse of the aged envelope.

"Just some letters from my Mother-in-law."

"What?" Tony asked with some well deserved confusion.

Not paying attention, Angela grabbed his arm again and asked, "What's for dinner? I'm starving."


End file.
